Yellow color · XKCD survey name
Pastel Yellow Color Code: #FFFE71
Pastel Yellow is a medium-light, vivid yellow color with the hexadecimal value #FFFE71. In RGB it is 255, 254, 113 and in HSL it is 60°, 100%, 72%. Black text reads best on it (19.66:1 contrast).
Pastel Yellow color values
#FFFE71
rgb(255, 254, 113)
hsl(60, 100%, 72%)
60, 56%, 100%
hwb(60 44% 0%)
0%, 0%, 56%, 0%
16776817
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Pastel Yellow?
“Pastel 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 60° places it in the yellow part of the color wheel, with 100% saturation (vivid) and 72% lightness (medium-light). It is a warm color.
Compared with the other yellow colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 62% of them and more saturated than 58% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.933, which makes it a very 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.
Pastel Yellow counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 72% and its relative luminance is 0.933. Black text reads best on it (19.66:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Pastel Yellow
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 1.06:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 19.66:1 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 Pastel 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.
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 Pastel 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.
Similar colors
Where to use Pastel Yellow
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (19.66:1 contrast with black)
- Accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations
- Backgrounds that need to feel bright
- Accents on dark layouts
- Infographics and chart series
- Highlighters, badges and caution markers
Use Pastel Yellow in CSS
:root {
--color-pastel-yellow: #FFFE71;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-pastel-yellow);
background-color: #FFFE71;
border: 2px solid #FFFE71;
}Questions about Pastel Yellow
What is the HEX code for Pastel Yellow?
Pastel Yellow is #FFFE71.
What is the RGB value of Pastel Yellow?
The RGB value of Pastel Yellow is 255, 254, 113: 255 red, 254 green and 113 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(255, 254, 113) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Pastel Yellow?
The HSL value of Pastel Yellow is 60°, 100%, 72% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(60, 100%, 72%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Pastel Yellow?
A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 0%, Y 56%, K 0%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Pastel Yellow a light or dark color?
Pastel Yellow counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 72% and its relative luminance is 0.933. Black text reads best on it (19.66:1 contrast).
How does Pastel Yellow look with white text?
White text on Pastel Yellow has a contrast ratio of 1.06:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
How does Pastel Yellow look with black text?
Black text on Pastel Yellow has a contrast ratio of 19.66:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Pastel Yellow?
Medium Slate Blue is its complementary color, and Apricot sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Pastel Yellow be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (19.66:1 contrast with black); accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations; backgrounds that need to feel bright.
How do I use Pastel Yellow in CSS?
Use color: #FFFE71; for text, background-color: #FFFE71; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-pastel-yellow: #FFFE71; and reuse it with var(--color-pastel-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.