Yellow Color / Colour Code #FFBF00
This page shows the hex color code for yellow (#FFBF00). The colour is a yellow tone with 100% saturation and 50% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #FFBF00 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#FFBF00 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 15, 45, and 75 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 45, 165, and 285 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #FFBF00
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 45 and saturation at 100%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 45 to 90 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 45 with its complement at 225 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 #FFBF00
Lightness variations at hue 45 and 100% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #FFBF00
Design Use Cases for #FFBF00
High-Impact Accent
With 100% saturation, #FFBF00 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, #FFBF00 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
#FFBF00 is in the yellow spectrum (hue 45). 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 #FFBF00 (hue 45) to its complement at hue 225. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 75. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ffbf00, #0040ff);
CSS Code for #FFBF00
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #FFBF00 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #FFBF00 across image editing and color design tools.
About Yellow (#FFBF00)
#FFBF00 is a yellow color (colour) with RGB channel values of 255 red, 191 green, and 0 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 255.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 45 degrees with 100% saturation and 50% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #FFBF00 is 188/255 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, 25% magenta, 100% yellow, and 0% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #FFBF00 against white is 1.65:1 and against black is 12.70:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 12.70:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #0040FF creates maximum visual tension when paired with #FFBF00. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #FF4000 and #BFFF00, 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 #FFBF00
- 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 #FFBF00?
- #FFBF00 is Yellow, a yellow color (colour) with RGB(255, 191, 0), HSL(45, 100%, 50%), and CMYK(0%, 25%, 100%, 0%). Its perceived brightness is 188/255.
- Is #FFBF00 accessible for text?
- Against white, #FFBF00 has a contrast ratio of 1.65:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 12.70:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #FFBF00?
- The complementary colour is #0040FF (hue 225). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #FF4000 and #BFFF00. The triadic palette adds #00FFBF and #BF00FF for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #FFBF00 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #ffbf00; or rgb(255, 191, 0); or hsl(45, 100%, 50%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 45 100% 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.