Orange Color / Colour Code #9C5916
This page shows the hex color code for orange (#9C5916). The colour is a orange tone with 75% saturation and 35% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #9C5916 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#9C5916 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 0, 30, and 60 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 30, 150, and 270 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #9C5916
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 30 and saturation at 75%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 30 to 75 degrees create a warm, unified palette. This analogous scheme works for marketing materials, seasonal campaigns, and any design that needs visual warmth without clashing colors.
Combines the base color at hue 30 with its complement at 210 and two adjacent cool tones. This split-complementary approach provides strong visual contrast while remaining more balanced than a pure complementary scheme.
Five evenly spaced hues at 40% saturation and 80% lightness. Pastels are gentle on the eyes and work well for dashboards, onboarding screens, category tags, and any interface where multiple distinct colors are needed without visual aggression.
Shades & Tints of #9C5916
Lightness variations at hue 30 and 75% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #9C5916
Design Use Cases for #9C5916
Vibrant Brand Color
#9C5916 has a strong 75% saturation that makes it ideal for brand identity elements. Use it for logos, primary call-to-action buttons, hero section accents, and marketing materials where visual impact matters. This saturation level is eye-catching without being harsh.
Primary Interface Color
At 35% lightness, #9C5916 is in the mid-range, making it ideal for interactive elements like buttons, links, and selected states. This lightness level ensures good contrast against both light and dark adjacent elements in most layouts.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#9C5916 sits in the orange range (hue 30). Orange combines the energy of red with the warmth of yellow. It works naturally for progress indicators, pricing highlights, "new" badges, and friendly call-to-action buttons. Food and fitness brands frequently use this hue range.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #9C5916 (hue 30) to its complement at hue 210. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 60. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #9c5916, #16599c);
CSS Code for #9C5916
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #9C5916 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #9C5916 across image editing and color design tools.
About Orange (#9C5916)
#9C5916 is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 156 red, 89 green, and 22 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 7.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 30 degrees with 75% saturation and 35% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #9C5916 is 101/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This appears dark to the human eye, so pair it with light text for adequate readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 43% magenta, 86% yellow, and 39% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #9C5916 against white is 5.45:1 and against black is 3.85:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 25% lightness.
The complementary colour #16599C creates maximum visual tension when paired with #9C5916. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #9C1616 and #9C9C16, which sit 30 degrees on either side of the hue wheel. To build a complete design system, start with the monochromatic scale above for consistent shade variations, then add one complementary or triadic accent for interactive elements.
How to Explore Color #9C5916
- Enter your color value in HEX format.
- The tool converts it to RGB, HSL, CMYK format in real time.
- Copy the converted value to your clipboard.
What is HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK color conversion
Converting from HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK translates a color value between two different color models. Different color models are used in web design (HEX, RGB), print (CMYK), and color theory (HSL, HSV).
Related Tools & Colors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What color / colour is #9C5916?
- #9C5916 is Orange, a orange color (colour) with RGB(156, 89, 22), HSL(30, 75%, 35%), and CMYK(0%, 43%, 86%, 39%). Its perceived brightness is 101/255.
- Is #9C5916 accessible for text?
- Against white, #9C5916 has a contrast ratio of 5.45:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.85:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #9C5916?
- The complementary colour is #16599C (hue 210). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #9C1616 and #9C9C16. The triadic palette adds #169C59 and #59169C for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #9C5916 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #9c5916; or rgb(156, 89, 22); or hsl(30, 75%, 35%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 30 75% 35%; then use it as hsl(var(--color-primary)).
- Is this color / colour explorer free?
- Yes, completely free with no signup required. All colour calculations run in your browser. You can explore any valid hex color code, not just the pre-generated palette.