Color #BD8A2D Color / Colour Code #BD8A2D
This page shows the hex color code for color #bd8a2d (#BD8A2D). The colour is a orange tone with 62% saturation and 46% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BD8A2D against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BD8A2D paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 9, 39, and 69 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 39, 159, and 279 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BD8A2D
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 39 and saturation at 62%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 39 to 84 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 39 with its complement at 219 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 #BD8A2D
Lightness variations at hue 39 and 62% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BD8A2D
Design Use Cases for #BD8A2D
Vibrant Brand Color
#BD8A2D has a strong 62% 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 46% lightness, #BD8A2D 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
#BD8A2D sits in the orange range (hue 39). 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 #BD8A2D (hue 39) to its complement at hue 219. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 69. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bd8a2d, #2d5fbe);
CSS Code for #BD8A2D
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BD8A2D based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BD8A2D across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BD8A2D (#BD8A2D)
#BD8A2D is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 189 red, 138 green, and 45 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 4.2:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 39 degrees with 62% saturation and 46% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BD8A2D is 143/255 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, 27% magenta, 76% yellow, and 26% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BD8A2D against white is 3.07:1 and against black is 6.84:1. 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 6.84:1.
The complementary colour #2D5FBE creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BD8A2D. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BE422D and #A8BE2D, 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 #BD8A2D
- 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 #BD8A2D?
- #BD8A2D is Color #BD8A2D, a orange color (colour) with RGB(189, 138, 45), HSL(39, 62%, 46%), and CMYK(0%, 27%, 76%, 26%). Its perceived brightness is 143/255.
- Is #BD8A2D accessible for text?
- Against white, #BD8A2D has a contrast ratio of 3.07:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.84:1 (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 #BD8A2D?
- The complementary colour is #2D5FBE (hue 219). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BE422D and #A8BE2D. The triadic palette adds #2DBE8B and #8B2DBE for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BD8A2D in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bd8a2d; or rgb(189, 138, 45); or hsl(39, 62%, 46%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 39 62% 46%; 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.