Color #A17717 Color / Colour Code #A17717
This page shows the hex color code for color #a17717 (#A17717). The colour is a orange tone with 75% saturation and 36% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #A17717 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#A17717 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 12, 42, and 72 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 42, 162, and 282 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #A17717
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 42 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 42 to 87 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 42 with its complement at 222 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 #A17717
Lightness variations at hue 42 and 75% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #A17717
Design Use Cases for #A17717
Vibrant Brand Color
#A17717 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 36% lightness, #A17717 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
#A17717 sits in the orange range (hue 42). 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 #A17717 (hue 42) to its complement at hue 222. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 72. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #a17717, #1740a1);
CSS Code for #A17717
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #A17717 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #A17717 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #A17717 (#A17717)
#A17717 is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 161 red, 119 green, and 23 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 7.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 42 degrees with 75% saturation and 36% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #A17717 is 121/255 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, 26% magenta, 86% yellow, and 37% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #A17717 against white is 4.06:1 and against black is 5.17:1. This only passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. For normal body text on white, darken the color or use it on a dark background where it achieves 5.17:1.
The complementary colour #1740A1 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #A17717. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #A13217 and #85A117, 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 #A17717
- 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 #A17717?
- #A17717 is Color #A17717, a orange color (colour) with RGB(161, 119, 23), HSL(42, 75%, 36%), and CMYK(0%, 26%, 86%, 37%). Its perceived brightness is 121/255.
- Is #A17717 accessible for text?
- Against white, #A17717 has a contrast ratio of 4.06:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.17:1 (passes AA). It passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #A17717?
- The complementary colour is #1740A1 (hue 222). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #A13217 and #85A117. The triadic palette adds #17A177 and #7717A1 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #A17717 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #a17717; or rgb(161, 119, 23); or hsl(42, 75%, 36%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 42 75% 36%; 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.