Brown color · XKCD survey name
Desert Color Code: #CCAD60
Desert is a medium, rich orange color with the hexadecimal value #CCAD60. In RGB it is 204, 173, 96 and in HSL it is 43°, 51%, 59%. Black text reads best on it (9.71:1 contrast).
Desert color values
#CCAD60
rgb(204, 173, 96)
hsl(43, 51%, 59%)
43, 53%, 80%
hwb(43 38% 20%)
0%, 15%, 53%, 20%
13413728
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Desert?
“Desert” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.
Its hue angle of 43° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 51% saturation (rich) and 59% lightness (medium). It is a warm color.
Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 74% of them and more saturated than 36% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.436, which makes it a light color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.
Desert counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 59% and its relative luminance is 0.436. Black text reads best on it (9.71:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Desert
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 2.16:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 9.71:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Desert
Complementary color
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.
Analogous colors
Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.
Triadic colors
A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.
Split-complementary colors
Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.
Tetradic colors
A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.
Monochromatic variants
Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.
A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.
Tints and shades of Desert
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
Darker shades (mixed with black)
Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.
Similar colors
Where to use Desert
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (9.71:1 contrast with black)
- Warm neutrals alongside cream and green
- Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations
- Earthy, natural palettes
- Packaging and craft-style layouts
Use Desert in CSS
:root {
--color-desert: #CCAD60;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-desert);
background-color: #CCAD60;
border: 2px solid #CCAD60;
}Questions about Desert
What is the HEX code for Desert?
Desert is #CCAD60.
What is the RGB value of Desert?
The RGB value of Desert is 204, 173, 96: 204 red, 173 green and 96 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(204, 173, 96) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Desert?
The HSL value of Desert is 43°, 51%, 59% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(43, 51%, 59%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Desert?
A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 15%, Y 53%, K 20%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Desert a light or dark color?
Desert counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 59% and its relative luminance is 0.436. Black text reads best on it (9.71:1 contrast).
How does Desert look with white text?
White text on Desert has a contrast ratio of 2.16:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
How does Desert look with black text?
Black text on Desert has a contrast ratio of 9.71:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Desert?
Cornflower Blue is its complementary color, and Clay sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Desert be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (9.71:1 contrast with black); warm neutrals alongside cream and green; borders, wood-like textures and illustrations.
How do I use Desert in CSS?
Use color: #CCAD60; for text, background-color: #CCAD60; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-desert: #CCAD60; and reuse it with var(--color-desert).
About this color page
Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.