Amber 500 Color / Colour Code #F59E0B
This page shows the hex color code for amber 500 (#F59E0B). The colour is a orange tone with 92% saturation and 50% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #F59E0B against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#F59E0B 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 #F59E0B
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 38 and saturation at 92%. 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 #F59E0B
Lightness variations at hue 38 and 92% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #F59E0B
Design Use Cases for #F59E0B
High-Impact Accent
With 92% saturation, #F59E0B is highly vivid. Reserve this for elements that need maximum attention: primary action buttons, notification badges, error states, or promotional banners. Use sparingly alongside neutral tones to avoid visual fatigue.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 50% lightness, #F59E0B 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
#F59E0B 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 #F59E0B (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, #f59e0b, #0a60f5);
CSS Code for #F59E0B
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #F59E0B based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #F59E0B across image editing and color design tools.
About Amber 500 (#F59E0B)
#F59E0B is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 245 red, 158 green, and 11 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 22.3:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 38 degrees with 92% saturation and 50% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #F59E0B is 167/255 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, 36% magenta, 96% yellow, and 4% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #F59E0B against white is 2.15:1 and against black is 9.78:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 9.78:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #0A60F5 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #F59E0B. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #F5290A and #D6F50A, 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 #F59E0B
- 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 #F59E0B?
- #F59E0B is Amber 500, a orange color (colour) with RGB(245, 158, 11), HSL(38, 92%, 50%), and CMYK(0%, 36%, 96%, 4%). Its perceived brightness is 167/255.
- Is #F59E0B accessible for text?
- Against white, #F59E0B has a contrast ratio of 2.15:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 9.78:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #F59E0B?
- The complementary colour is #0A60F5 (hue 218). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #F5290A and #D6F50A. The triadic palette adds #0AF59F and #9F0AF5 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #F59E0B in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #f59e0b; or rgb(245, 158, 11); or hsl(38, 92%, 50%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 38 92% 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.