Cream Color / Colour Code #F9F5EC
This page shows the hex color code for cream (#F9F5EC). The colour is a yellow tone with 52% saturation and 95% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #F9F5EC against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#F9F5EC paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 12, 42, and 72 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 42, 162, and 282 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #F9F5EC
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 42 and saturation at 52%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 42 to 87 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 42 with its complement at 222 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 #F9F5EC
Lightness variations at hue 42 and 52% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #F9F5EC
Design Use Cases for #F9F5EC
Balanced UI Color
At 52% saturation, #F9F5EC 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.
Near-White Background
At 95% lightness, #F9F5EC is very close to white but carries a subtle orange tint. This is perfect for alternating row backgrounds in tables, subtle section differentiation, and adding warmth or coolness to an otherwise stark white design.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#F9F5EC sits in the orange range (hue 42). 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 #F9F5EC (hue 42) to its complement at hue 222. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 72. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #f9f5ec, #ecf0f9);
CSS Code for #F9F5EC
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #F9F5EC based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #F9F5EC across image editing and color design tools.
About Cream (#F9F5EC)
#F9F5EC is a yellow color (colour) with RGB channel values of 249 red, 245 green, and 236 blue. The red channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 42 degrees with 52% saturation and 95% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #F9F5EC is 245/255 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, 2% magenta, 5% yellow, and 2% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #F9F5EC against white is 1.09:1 and against black is 19.30:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 19.30:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #ECF0F9 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #F9F5EC. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #F9EEEC and #F6F9EC, 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 #F9F5EC
- 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 #F9F5EC?
- #F9F5EC is Cream, a yellow color (colour) with RGB(249, 245, 236), HSL(42, 52%, 95%), and CMYK(0%, 2%, 5%, 2%). Its perceived brightness is 245/255.
- Is #F9F5EC accessible for text?
- Against white, #F9F5EC has a contrast ratio of 1.09:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 19.30:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #F9F5EC?
- The complementary colour is #ECF0F9 (hue 222). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #F9EEEC and #F6F9EC. The triadic palette adds #ECF9F5 and #F5ECF9 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #F9F5EC in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #f9f5ec; or rgb(249, 245, 236); or hsl(42, 52%, 95%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 42 52% 95%; 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.