Color #CD8917 Color / Colour Code #CD8917
This page shows the hex color code for color #cd8917 (#CD8917). The colour is a orange tone with 80% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #CD8917 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#CD8917 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 8, 38, and 68 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 38, 158, and 278 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #CD8917
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 38 and saturation at 80%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 38 to 83 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 38 with its complement at 218 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 #CD8917
Lightness variations at hue 38 and 80% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #CD8917
Design Use Cases for #CD8917
Vibrant Brand Color
#CD8917 has a strong 80% 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, #CD8917 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
#CD8917 sits in the orange range (hue 38). 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 #CD8917 (hue 38) to its complement at hue 218. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 68. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #cd8917, #175acf);
CSS Code for #CD8917
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #CD8917 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #CD8917 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #CD8917 (#CD8917)
#CD8917 is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 205 red, 137 green, and 23 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 8.9:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 38 degrees with 80% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #CD8917 is 144/255 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, 33% magenta, 89% yellow, and 20% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #CD8917 against white is 2.92:1 and against black is 7.19:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 7.19:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #175ACF creates maximum visual tension when paired with #CD8917. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #CF2F17 and #B6CF17, 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 #CD8917
- 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 #CD8917?
- #CD8917 is Color #CD8917, a orange color (colour) with RGB(205, 137, 23), HSL(38, 80%, 45%), and CMYK(0%, 33%, 89%, 20%). Its perceived brightness is 144/255.
- Is #CD8917 accessible for text?
- Against white, #CD8917 has a contrast ratio of 2.92:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 7.19:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #CD8917?
- The complementary colour is #175ACF (hue 218). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #CF2F17 and #B6CF17. The triadic palette adds #17CF8B and #8B17CF for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #CD8917 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #cd8917; or rgb(205, 137, 23); or hsl(38, 80%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 38 80% 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.