Goldenrod #DAA520
Goldenrod is a medium-light, vivid orange with hex code #DAA520 and RGB rgb(218, 165, 32).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.38:1).
About this color
#DAA520 is a medium-light, vivid orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.147 and its hue 84°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. It is the named color Goldenrod. Black text reads best on it, at 9.38:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.147) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Goldenrod |
| Black text | 9.38:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Colors that go with Goldenrod
Matches found by rotating Goldenrod around the OKLCH hue wheel, each labelled with the closest name in our list.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Color palettes with Goldenrod
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Goldenrod, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Goldenrod, with their ΔE distance.
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.020
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.034
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.037
- Ocre #C69C04 ΔE 0.042
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.042
- Squash #F2AB15 ΔE 0.043
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.045
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.046
More about Goldenrod
How to make Goldenrod
A starting recipe from common paint colors, found with a spectral paint model (the color mixer’s paint mode). Real pigments vary, so mix a small test batch and adjust.
- 2 parts yellow
- 1 part orange
- 1 part brown
Recipe result: #D9A52B, a difference of ΔE 0.005 from Goldenrod. That is very close: most people will not see the difference.
Codes for Goldenrod in every format
| HEX | #DAA520 |
| RGB | rgb(218, 165, 32) |
| HSL | hsl(43, 74%, 49%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.2% 0.147 84) |
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 #DAA520 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #DAA520 | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc 60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #DAA520 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #DAA520 text on black | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc -58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
Shades and tints of Goldenrod
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F9F5EC
oklch(97.1% 0.013 86.8)
-
Step 100
100
#F2E9D6
oklch(93.6% 0.027 85.7)
-
Step 200
200
#E9D7B4
oklch(88.5% 0.05 83.9)
-
Step 300
300
#DDBC7A
oklch(80.9% 0.092 83.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#DAA520
oklch(75.2% 0.147 84)
-
Step 500
500
#AE8100
oklch(63% 0.129 83.9)
-
Step 600
600
#936C00
oklch(55.6% 0.114 83.5)
-
Step 700
700
#7B5B00
oklch(49.1% 0.101 84.7)
-
Step 800
800
#654A00
oklch(42.7% 0.087 84.5)
-
Step 900
900
#553D00
oklch(37.7% 0.077 83.5)
-
Step 950
950
#332400
oklch(27.1% 0.056 85)
Goldenrod 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) | #BBA500 | 0.052 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C8B329 | 0.042 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #ED948D | 0.131 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.147 |
Use Goldenrod 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.