Color #FCF9CD Color / Colour Code #FCF9CD
This page shows the hex color code for color #fcf9cd (#FCF9CD). The colour is a yellow tone with 89% saturation and 90% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #FCF9CD against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#FCF9CD paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 26, 56, and 86 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 56, 176, and 296 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #FCF9CD
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 56 and saturation at 89%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 56 to 101 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 56 with its complement at 236 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 #FCF9CD
Lightness variations at hue 56 and 89% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #FCF9CD
Design Use Cases for #FCF9CD
High-Impact Accent
With 89% saturation, #FCF9CD 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.
Near-White Background
At 90% lightness, #FCF9CD is very close to white but carries a subtle yellow tint. This is perfect for alternating row backgrounds in tables, subtle section differentiation, and adding warmth or coolness to an otherwise stark white design.
Attention & Optimism
#FCF9CD is in the yellow spectrum (hue 56). Yellow attracts attention faster than any other color. Use it for warning labels, featured content markers, star ratings, and tooltip backgrounds. Pair with dark text since yellow often fails contrast checks against white.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #FCF9CD (hue 56) to its complement at hue 236. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 86. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #fcf9cd, #cfd2fc);
CSS Code for #FCF9CD
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #FCF9CD based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #FCF9CD across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #FCF9CD (#FCF9CD)
#FCF9CD is a yellow color (colour) with RGB channel values of 252 red, 249 green, and 205 blue. The red channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 56 degrees with 89% saturation and 90% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #FCF9CD 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, 1% magenta, 19% yellow, and 1% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #FCF9CD against white is 1.07:1 and against black is 19.57:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 19.57:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #CFD2FC creates maximum visual tension when paired with #FCF9CD. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #FCE2CF and #E9FCCF, 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 #FCF9CD
- 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 #FCF9CD?
- #FCF9CD is Color #FCF9CD, a yellow color (colour) with RGB(252, 249, 205), HSL(56, 89%, 90%), and CMYK(0%, 1%, 19%, 1%). Its perceived brightness is 245/255.
- Is #FCF9CD accessible for text?
- Against white, #FCF9CD has a contrast ratio of 1.07:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 19.57:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #FCF9CD?
- The complementary colour is #CFD2FC (hue 236). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #FCE2CF and #E9FCCF. The triadic palette adds #CFFCF9 and #F9CFFC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #FCF9CD in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #fcf9cd; or rgb(252, 249, 205); or hsl(56, 89%, 90%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 56 89% 90%; 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.