Color #E9601C Color / Colour Code #E9601C
This page shows the hex color code for color #e9601c (#E9601C). The colour is a orange tone with 82% saturation and 51% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #E9601C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#E9601C paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 350, 20, and 50 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 20, 140, and 260 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #E9601C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 20 and saturation at 82%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 20 to 65 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 20 with its complement at 200 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 #E9601C
Lightness variations at hue 20 and 82% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #E9601C
Design Use Cases for #E9601C
Vibrant Brand Color
#E9601C has a strong 82% 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 51% lightness, #E9601C 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
#E9601C sits in the orange range (hue 20). 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 #E9601C (hue 20) to its complement at hue 200. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 50. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #e9601c, #1ca4e9);
CSS Code for #E9601C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #E9601C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #E9601C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #E9601C (#E9601C)
#E9601C is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 233 red, 96 green, and 28 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 8.3:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 20 degrees with 82% saturation and 51% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #E9601C is 129/255 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, 59% magenta, 88% yellow, and 9% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #E9601C against white is 3.41:1 and against black is 6.15:1. 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 6.15:1.
The complementary colour #1CA4E9 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #E9601C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #E91C3E and #E9C61C, 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 #E9601C
- 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 #E9601C?
- #E9601C is Color #E9601C, a orange color (colour) with RGB(233, 96, 28), HSL(20, 82%, 51%), and CMYK(0%, 59%, 88%, 9%). Its perceived brightness is 129/255.
- Is #E9601C accessible for text?
- Against white, #E9601C has a contrast ratio of 3.41:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.15:1 (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 #E9601C?
- The complementary colour is #1CA4E9 (hue 200). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #E91C3E and #E9C61C. The triadic palette adds #1CE960 and #601CE9 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #E9601C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #e9601c; or rgb(233, 96, 28); or hsl(20, 82%, 51%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 20 82% 51%; 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.