Color #F9B308 Color / Colour Code #F9B308
This page shows the hex color code for color #f9b308 (#F9B308). The colour is a orange tone with 95% saturation and 50% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #F9B308 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#F9B308 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 13, 43, and 73 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 43, 163, and 283 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #F9B308
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 43 and saturation at 95%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 43 to 88 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 43 with its complement at 223 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 #F9B308
Lightness variations at hue 43 and 95% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #F9B308
Design Use Cases for #F9B308
High-Impact Accent
With 95% saturation, #F9B308 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, #F9B308 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
#F9B308 sits in the orange range (hue 43). 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 #F9B308 (hue 43) to its complement at hue 223. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 73. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #f9b308, #064bf9);
CSS Code for #F9B308
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #F9B308 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #F9B308 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #F9B308 (#F9B308)
#F9B308 is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 249 red, 179 green, and 8 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 31.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 43 degrees with 95% saturation and 50% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #F9B308 is 180/255 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, 28% magenta, 97% yellow, and 2% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #F9B308 against white is 1.83:1 and against black is 11.48:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 11.48:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #064BF9 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #F9B308. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #F93B06 and #C4F906, 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 #F9B308
- 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 #F9B308?
- #F9B308 is Color #F9B308, a orange color (colour) with RGB(249, 179, 8), HSL(43, 95%, 50%), and CMYK(0%, 28%, 97%, 2%). Its perceived brightness is 180/255.
- Is #F9B308 accessible for text?
- Against white, #F9B308 has a contrast ratio of 1.83:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 11.48:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #F9B308?
- The complementary colour is #064BF9 (hue 223). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #F93B06 and #C4F906. The triadic palette adds #06F9B4 and #B406F9 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #F9B308 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #f9b308; or rgb(249, 179, 8); or hsl(43, 95%, 50%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 43 95% 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.