Yellow

#FFDE21

What color is Yellow?

Yellow is a bright, warm color that sits between green and orange on the visible spectrum, hex #FFDE21, with a tone close to a ripe lemon. It has a high natural brightness that makes it stand out strongly against darker backgrounds.

What is the meaning of the color Yellow?

Old English used the word geolu for this color as early as the 9th century, rooted in the Proto-Germanic gelwaz. Through medieval Europe, yellow dyes were extracted from weld plants and used in textiles traded across major markets including those in Flanders. The color became associated with caution after the United States adopted yellow as the standard color for warning signs, formalized in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices first published in 1935. Kodak anchored yellow to consumer photography through its signature yellow packaging, introduced in 1935 and still in use today.

RGB
255, 222, 33
HSL
51°, 100%, 56%
CMYK
0, 13, 87, 0
HSV
51°, 87%, 100%
Yellow color

What colors go with Yellow?

Colors that pair well with Yellow include:
Navy Blue: sharp, striking contrast
Gray: calm, balanced backdrop
White: clean, open brightness
Forest Green: natural, earthy harmony
Black: bold, graphic depth

Similar Colors

Conversions & Codes

Format Value CSS
HEX #FFDE21 color: #FFDE21;
RGB 255, 222, 33 color: rgb(255, 222, 33);
RGB Percentage 100%, 87%, 13% color: rgb(100%, 87%, 13%);
CMYK 0%, 13%, 87%, 0% Not supported in CSS
HSL 51°, 100%, 56% color: hsl(51, 100%, 56%);
HSV 51°, 87%, 100% Not supported in CSS
CIE-LAB 45, 7, 63 color: lab(45% 7 63);
Decimal 16768545 Not supported in CSS

Color Variations

Shades

#FFDD1F
#FFD902
#E4C200
#C8AA00
#AB9200
#8F7900
#726100
#564900

Tints

#FFF5BC
#FFF2A5
#FFEE8F
#FFEB78
#FFE762
#FFE44B
#FFE135
#FFDD1F

Tones

#FFDD1F
#F4D52A
#E9CE35
#DDC640
#D2BE4B
#C7B657
#BCAE62
#B0A66D

Hues

#FFDD1F
#78FF1F
#1FFF6D
#1FE9FF
#1F40FF
#A51FFF
#FF1FB0
#FF351F

Color Harmonies

Analogous

#FF6D1F
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#FFDE21
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#B0FF1F
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Complementary

#FFDE21
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#1F40FF
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Split Complementary

#FFDE21
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#1FB0FF
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#6D1FFF
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Triadic

#FFDE21
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#1FFFDD
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#DD1FFF
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Tetradic

#FFDE21
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#1FFF6D
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#1F40FF
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#FF1FB0
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Square

#FFDE21
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#1FFF6D
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#1F40FF
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#FF1FB0
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CSS & Dev Snippets

CSS
.yellow {
  color: #FFDE21;
}
SCSS
$yellow: #FFDE21;
RGB
rgb(255, 222, 33)

Accessibility & Contrast

White background

1.34:1
1.34
contrast ratio on a white background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

Black background

15.72:1
15.72
contrast ratio on a black background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

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