Color #C9731D Color / Colour Code #C9731D
This page shows the hex color code for color #c9731d (#C9731D). The colour is a orange tone with 75% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #C9731D against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#C9731D 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 #C9731D
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 #C9731D
Lightness variations at hue 30 and 75% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #C9731D
Design Use Cases for #C9731D
Vibrant Brand Color
#C9731D 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 45% lightness, #C9731D 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
#C9731D 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 #C9731D (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, #c9731d, #1d73c9);
CSS Code for #C9731D
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #C9731D based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #C9731D across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #C9731D (#C9731D)
#C9731D is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 201 red, 115 green, and 29 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 6.9:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 30 degrees with 75% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #C9731D is 131/255 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, 43% magenta, 86% yellow, and 21% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #C9731D against white is 3.53:1 and against black is 5.95:1. 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 5.95:1.
The complementary colour #1D73C9 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #C9731D. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #C91D1D and #C9C91D, 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 #C9731D
- 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 #C9731D?
- #C9731D is Color #C9731D, a orange color (colour) with RGB(201, 115, 29), HSL(30, 75%, 45%), and CMYK(0%, 43%, 86%, 21%). Its perceived brightness is 131/255.
- Is #C9731D accessible for text?
- Against white, #C9731D has a contrast ratio of 3.53:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.95:1 (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 #C9731D?
- The complementary colour is #1D73C9 (hue 210). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #C91D1D and #C9C91D. The triadic palette adds #1DC973 and #731DC9 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #C9731D in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #c9731d; or rgb(201, 115, 29); or hsl(30, 75%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 30 75% 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.