Color #DDCA97 Color / Colour Code #DDCA97
This page shows the hex color code for color #ddca97 (#DDCA97). The colour is a orange tone with 51% saturation and 73% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #DDCA97 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#DDCA97 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 14, 44, and 74 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 44, 164, and 284 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #DDCA97
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 44 and saturation at 51%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 44 to 89 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 44 with its complement at 224 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 #DDCA97
Lightness variations at hue 44 and 51% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #DDCA97
Design Use Cases for #DDCA97
Balanced UI Color
At 51% saturation, #DDCA97 strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Light Background Tint
#DDCA97 at 73% lightness creates a gentle tinted background. Use it for section backgrounds, alert banners, or card surfaces that need to stand out from a white page without strong contrast. It adds color personality while keeping the design light and open.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#DDCA97 sits in the orange range (hue 44). 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 #DDCA97 (hue 44) to its complement at hue 224. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 74. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ddca97, #97aadd);
CSS Code for #DDCA97
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #DDCA97 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #DDCA97 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #DDCA97 (#DDCA97)
#DDCA97 is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 221 red, 202 green, and 151 blue. The red channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 44 degrees with 51% saturation and 73% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #DDCA97 is 202/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This means it appears bright to the human eye and is best paired with dark text for readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 9% magenta, 32% yellow, and 13% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #DDCA97 against white is 1.62:1 and against black is 12.97:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 12.97:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #97AADD creates maximum visual tension when paired with #DDCA97. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #DDA797 and #CDDD97, 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 #DDCA97
- 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 #DDCA97?
- #DDCA97 is Color #DDCA97, a orange color (colour) with RGB(221, 202, 151), HSL(44, 51%, 73%), and CMYK(0%, 9%, 32%, 13%). Its perceived brightness is 202/255.
- Is #DDCA97 accessible for text?
- Against white, #DDCA97 has a contrast ratio of 1.62:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 12.97:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #DDCA97?
- The complementary colour is #97AADD (hue 224). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #DDA797 and #CDDD97. The triadic palette adds #97DDCB and #CB97DD for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #DDCA97 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #ddca97; or rgb(221, 202, 151); or hsl(44, 51%, 73%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 44 51% 73%; 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.