Yellow color · XKCD survey name

Orange Yellow Color Code: #FFAD01

The HEX code for Orange Yellow is #FFAD01. It is a medium, vivid orange color made of 255 red, 173 green and 1 blue (HSL 41°, 100%, 50%). Black text reads best on it (11.22:1 contrast).

Orange Yellow color values

HEX #FFAD01
RGB rgb(255, 173, 1)
HSL hsl(41, 100%, 50%)
HSV 41, 100%, 100%
HWB hwb(41 0% 0%)
CMYK 0%, 32%, 100%, 0%
Decimal 16755969
50%HSL lightness (medium)
100%HSL saturation (vivid)
41°Hue angle (orange)
0.511Relative luminance

CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.

What is Orange Yellow?

“Orange Yellow” 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 41° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 100% saturation (vivid) and 50% lightness (medium). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other yellow colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 15% of them and more saturated than 58% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.511, 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.

Orange Yellow counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 50% and its relative luminance is 0.511. Black text reads best on it (11.22:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Orange Yellow

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Orange Yellow
TextPreviewRatioAA normalAA largeAAA normalAAA large
White text Sample text 1.87:1 Poor Fail Fail Fail Fail
Black text Sample text 11.22:1 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 Orange Yellow

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.

#714D00#714D00
#B97D00#B97D00
#FFAD01#FFAD01
#FFC448#FFC448
#FFDB90#FFDB90

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 Orange Yellow

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.

Where to use Orange Yellow

  • Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (11.22:1 contrast with black)
  • Accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations
  • Infographics and chart series
  • Highlighters, badges and caution markers
  • Backgrounds that need to feel bright
  • Accents on dark layouts

Use Orange Yellow in CSS

:root {
  --color-orange-yellow: #FFAD01;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-orange-yellow);
  background-color: #FFAD01;
  border: 2px solid #FFAD01;
}

Questions about Orange Yellow

What is the HEX code for Orange Yellow?

Orange Yellow is #FFAD01.

What is the RGB value of Orange Yellow?

The RGB value of Orange Yellow is 255, 173, 1: 255 red, 173 green and 1 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(255, 173, 1) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Orange Yellow?

The HSL value of Orange Yellow is 41°, 100%, 50% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(41, 100%, 50%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Orange Yellow?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 32%, Y 100%, K 0%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Orange Yellow a light or dark color?

Orange Yellow counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 50% and its relative luminance is 0.511. Black text reads best on it (11.22:1 contrast).

How does Orange Yellow look with white text?

White text on Orange Yellow has a contrast ratio of 1.87:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.

How does Orange Yellow look with black text?

Black text on Orange Yellow has a contrast ratio of 11.22:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Orange Yellow?

Electric Blue is its complementary color, and Red Orange sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Orange Yellow be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (11.22:1 contrast with black); accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations; infographics and chart series.

How do I use Orange Yellow in CSS?

Use color: #FFAD01; for text, background-color: #FFAD01; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-orange-yellow: #FFAD01; and reuse it with var(--color-orange-yellow).

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.