#F9C981
Closest named color: Saffron (#E9C46A). oklch(86.3% 0.105 76.8), rgb(249, 201, 129).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (13.69:1).
About this color
#F9C981 is a light, moderately saturated orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 86%, its chroma 0.105 and its hue 77°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Saffron (#E9C46A), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 13.69:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | light (86%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.105) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Saffron (#E9C46A) |
| Black text | 13.69:1 |
| White text | 1.53:1 |
Values
| HEX | #F9C981 |
| RGB | rgb(249, 201, 129) |
| HSL | hsl(36, 91%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(86.3% 0.105 76.8) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #F9C981 | 1.53:1 | Fails | Lc -27.8 | Dividers and decoration only |
| Black text on #F9C981 | 13.69:1 | AAA | Lc 79.2 | Fine for body text |
| #F9C981 text on white | 1.53:1 | Fails | Lc 24.6 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #F9C981 text on black | 13.69:1 | AAA | Lc -78.6 | Fine for body text |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 200.
-
Step 50
50
#FDF4E8
oklch(97.1% 0.019 75.3)
-
Step 100
100
#F9E7CE
oklch(93.6% 0.038 76.2)
-
Step 200
200 (this color)
#F9C981
oklch(86.3% 0.105 76.8)
-
Step 300
300
#F1B450
oklch(80.8% 0.135 77)
-
Step 400
400
#D49200
oklch(70.7% 0.148 76.6)
-
Step 500
500
#B67D00
oklch(63.2% 0.132 76.8)
-
Step 600
600
#996800
oklch(55.5% 0.116 76.4)
-
Step 700
700
#815700
oklch(49% 0.103 76.4)
-
Step 800
800
#6A4700
oklch(42.6% 0.089 76.7)
-
Step 900
900
#593B00
oklch(37.8% 0.079 76.7)
-
Step 950
950
#362200
oklch(27% 0.057 76.3)
#F9C981 with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #DCCA7B | 0.045 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #E7D583 | 0.038 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #FFBCB7 | 0.086 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #D1D1D1 | 0.105 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #F9C981
#F9C981
oklch(86.3% 0.105 76.8)
- #B6D4FF
#B6D4FF
oklch(86.2% 0.068 257.4)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #F9C981, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Saffron #E9C46A ΔE 0.037
- Sand #E2CA76 ΔE 0.038
- Sunglow #FFD166 ΔE 0.040
- Sandy #F1DA7A ΔE 0.047
- Vanilla #E9D8A6 ΔE 0.048
- Maximum Yellow Red #FCBF49 ΔE 0.049
- Light Gold #F3DE8A ΔE 0.051
- Light Mustard #F7D560 ΔE 0.052
Use #F9C981 in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.