Color #BB9913 Color / Colour Code #BB9913
This page shows the hex color code for color #bb9913 (#BB9913). The colour is a yellow tone with 82% saturation and 40% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BB9913 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BB9913 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 18, 48, and 78 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 48, 168, and 288 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BB9913
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 48 and saturation at 82%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 48 to 93 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 48 with its complement at 228 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 #BB9913
Lightness variations at hue 48 and 82% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BB9913
Design Use Cases for #BB9913
Vibrant Brand Color
#BB9913 has a strong 82% 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 40% lightness, #BB9913 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.
Attention & Optimism
#BB9913 is in the yellow spectrum (hue 48). Yellow attracts attention faster than any other color. Use it for warning labels, featured content markers, star ratings, and tooltip backgrounds. Pair with dark text since yellow often fails contrast checks against white.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #BB9913 (hue 48) to its complement at hue 228. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 78. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bb9913, #1234ba);
CSS Code for #BB9913
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BB9913 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BB9913 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BB9913 (#BB9913)
#BB9913 is a yellow color (colour) with RGB channel values of 187 red, 153 green, and 19 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 9.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 48 degrees with 82% saturation and 40% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BB9913 is 148/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This is a medium-brightness color that can work with either dark or light text depending on font weight and size. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 18% magenta, 90% yellow, and 27% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BB9913 against white is 2.73:1 and against black is 7.68:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 7.68:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #1234BA creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BB9913. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BA4512 and #87BA12, 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 #BB9913
- 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 #BB9913?
- #BB9913 is Color #BB9913, a yellow color (colour) with RGB(187, 153, 19), HSL(48, 82%, 40%), and CMYK(0%, 18%, 90%, 27%). Its perceived brightness is 148/255.
- Is #BB9913 accessible for text?
- Against white, #BB9913 has a contrast ratio of 2.73:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 7.68:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BB9913?
- The complementary colour is #1234BA (hue 228). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BA4512 and #87BA12. The triadic palette adds #12BA98 and #9812BA for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BB9913 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bb9913; or rgb(187, 153, 19); or hsl(48, 82%, 40%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 48 82% 40%; 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.