Color #FDD138 Color / Colour Code #FDD138
This page shows the hex color code for color #fdd138 (#FDD138). The colour is a yellow tone with 98% saturation and 61% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #FDD138 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#FDD138 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 17, 47, and 77 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 47, 167, and 287 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #FDD138
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 47 and saturation at 98%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 47 to 92 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 47 with its complement at 227 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 #FDD138
Lightness variations at hue 47 and 98% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #FDD138
Design Use Cases for #FDD138
High-Impact Accent
With 98% saturation, #FDD138 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 61% lightness, #FDD138 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.
Attention & Optimism
#FDD138 is in the yellow spectrum (hue 47). 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 #FDD138 (hue 47) to its complement at hue 227. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 77. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #fdd138, #3a64fd);
CSS Code for #FDD138
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #FDD138 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #FDD138 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #FDD138 (#FDD138)
#FDD138 is a yellow color (colour) with RGB channel values of 253 red, 209 green, and 56 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 4.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 47 degrees with 98% saturation and 61% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #FDD138 is 205/255 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, 17% magenta, 78% yellow, and 1% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #FDD138 against white is 1.46:1 and against black is 14.35:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 14.35:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #3A64FD creates maximum visual tension when paired with #FDD138. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #FD713A and #C6FD3A, 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 #FDD138
- 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 #FDD138?
- #FDD138 is Color #FDD138, a yellow color (colour) with RGB(253, 209, 56), HSL(47, 98%, 61%), and CMYK(0%, 17%, 78%, 1%). Its perceived brightness is 205/255.
- Is #FDD138 accessible for text?
- Against white, #FDD138 has a contrast ratio of 1.46:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 14.35:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #FDD138?
- The complementary colour is #3A64FD (hue 227). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #FD713A and #C6FD3A. The triadic palette adds #3AFDD3 and #D33AFD for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #FDD138 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #fdd138; or rgb(253, 209, 56); or hsl(47, 98%, 61%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 47 98% 61%; 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.