#F9E278
Closest named color: Pale Gold (#FDDE6C). oklch(91% 0.129 97.3), rgb(249, 226, 120).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (16.17:1).
About this color
#F9E278 is a very light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 91%, its chroma 0.129 and its hue 97°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Gold (#FDDE6C), ΔE 0.012 away. Black text reads best on it, at 16.17:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | very light (91%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.129) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Pale Gold (#FDDE6C) |
| Black text | 16.17:1 |
| White text | 1.29:1 |
Values
| HEX | #F9E278 |
| RGB | rgb(249, 226, 120) |
| HSL | hsl(49, 91%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(91% 0.129 97.3) |
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 #F9E278 | 1.29:1 | Fails | Lc -16.9 | Dividers and decoration only |
| Black text on #F9E278 | 16.17:1 | AAA | Lc 88.9 | Fine for body text |
| #F9E278 text on white | 1.29:1 | Fails | Lc 14.7 | Not readable |
| #F9E278 text on black | 16.17:1 | AAA | Lc -89.1 | 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
#F9F6E5
oklch(97.1% 0.023 98.6)
-
Step 100
100
#F2EBC7
oklch(93.6% 0.048 98.1)
-
Step 200
200 (this color)
#F9E278
oklch(91% 0.129 97.3)
-
Step 300
300
#DEC008
oklch(80.9% 0.166 97.7)
-
Step 400
400
#BAA000
oklch(70.7% 0.146 97.5)
-
Step 500
500
#9F8900
oklch(63.1% 0.13 97.8)
-
Step 600
600
#867300
oklch(55.7% 0.115 97.6)
-
Step 700
700
#716000
oklch(49.1% 0.101 97)
-
Step 800
800
#5C4F00
oklch(42.8% 0.088 98.3)
-
Step 900
900
#4D4100
oklch(37.6% 0.078 97.3)
-
Step 950
950
#2E2600
oklch(27% 0.056 97.1)
#F9E278 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) | #F4DD6E | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #FAE57D | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #FFD4CA | 0.116 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #E2E2E2 | 0.129 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #F9E278
#F9E278
oklch(91% 0.129 97.3)
- #DADFFF
#DADFFF
oklch(91% 0.044 278.5)
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 #F9E278, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Gold #FDDE6C ΔE 0.012
- Yellow Tan #FFE36E ΔE 0.013
- Sand Yellow #FCE166 ΔE 0.016
- Khaki #F0E68C ΔE 0.021
- Sandy #F1DA7A ΔE 0.025
- Light Gold #F3DE8A ΔE 0.025
- Dull Yellow #EEDC5B ΔE 0.033
- Sandy Yellow #FDEE73 ΔE 0.033
Use #F9E278 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.