Color #E1981E Color / Colour Code #E1981E
This page shows the hex color code for color #e1981e (#E1981E). The colour is a orange tone with 76% saturation and 50% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #E1981E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#E1981E 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 #E1981E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 38 and saturation at 76%. 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 #E1981E
Lightness variations at hue 38 and 76% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #E1981E
Design Use Cases for #E1981E
Vibrant Brand Color
#E1981E has a strong 76% 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.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 50% lightness, #E1981E has a softer, more approachable quality. It works well for hover states, subtle highlights, progress indicators, and secondary UI elements. This lightness range is particularly effective for tag backgrounds and status indicators.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#E1981E 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 #E1981E (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, #e1981e, #1f66e0);
CSS Code for #E1981E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #E1981E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #E1981E across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #E1981E (#E1981E)
#E1981E is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 225 red, 152 green, and 30 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 7.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 38 degrees with 76% saturation and 50% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #E1981E is 160/255 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, 32% magenta, 87% yellow, and 12% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #E1981E against white is 2.41:1 and against black is 8.71:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 8.71:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #1F66E0 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #E1981E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #E0381F and #C7E01F, 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 #E1981E
- 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 #E1981E?
- #E1981E is Color #E1981E, a orange color (colour) with RGB(225, 152, 30), HSL(38, 76%, 50%), and CMYK(0%, 32%, 87%, 12%). Its perceived brightness is 160/255.
- Is #E1981E accessible for text?
- Against white, #E1981E has a contrast ratio of 2.41:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 8.71:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #E1981E?
- The complementary colour is #1F66E0 (hue 218). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #E0381F and #C7E01F. The triadic palette adds #1FE099 and #991FE0 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #E1981E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #e1981e; or rgb(225, 152, 30); or hsl(38, 76%, 50%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 38 76% 50%; 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.