Orange Color / Colour Code #B85C2E
This page shows the hex color code for orange (#B85C2E). The colour is a orange tone with 60% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #B85C2E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#B85C2E paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 350, 20, and 50 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 20, 140, and 260 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #B85C2E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 20 and saturation at 60%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 20 to 65 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 20 with its complement at 200 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 #B85C2E
Lightness variations at hue 20 and 60% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #B85C2E
Design Use Cases for #B85C2E
Vibrant Brand Color
#B85C2E has a strong 60% 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 45% lightness, #B85C2E 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
#B85C2E sits in the orange range (hue 20). 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 #B85C2E (hue 20) to its complement at hue 200. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 50. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #b85c2e, #2e8ab8);
CSS Code for #B85C2E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #B85C2E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #B85C2E across image editing and color design tools.
About Orange (#B85C2E)
#B85C2E is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 184 red, 92 green, and 46 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 4.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 20 degrees with 60% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #B85C2E is 114/255 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, 50% magenta, 75% yellow, and 28% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #B85C2E against white is 4.56:1 and against black is 4.61:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 31% lightness.
The complementary colour #2E8AB8 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #B85C2E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #B82E45 and #B8A12E, 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 #B85C2E
- 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 #B85C2E?
- #B85C2E is Orange, a orange color (colour) with RGB(184, 92, 46), HSL(20, 60%, 45%), and CMYK(0%, 50%, 75%, 28%). Its perceived brightness is 114/255.
- Is #B85C2E accessible for text?
- Against white, #B85C2E has a contrast ratio of 4.56:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.61:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #B85C2E?
- The complementary colour is #2E8AB8 (hue 200). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #B82E45 and #B8A12E. The triadic palette adds #2EB85C and #5C2EB8 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #B85C2E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #b85c2e; or rgb(184, 92, 46); or hsl(20, 60%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 20 60% 45%; 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.