Color swatch image showing #FFA800 with RGB(255,168,0) values

#FFA800 Color Meaning and Information

Everything you need to know about #FFA800 including values, color harmonies, shades, meanings, and applications in design, branding, and everyday visuals.

#FFA800 Color Information

#FFA800 RGB value is (255, 168, 0). The hex color red value is 255, green is 168, and blue is 0. Its HSL format shows a hue of 40°, saturation of 100 percent, and lightness of 50 percent. The CMYK process values are 0 percent, 34 percent, 100 percent, 0 percent.

#FFA800 color swatch
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#FFA800 Color Meaning

Color #FFA800 emits industrial brilliance, historical luminosity, and unfiltered optimism. Color #FFA800 is a vivid, slightly orange-leaning yellow historically derived from lead chromate—once prized by Van Gogh for its intensity, now valued for its chromatic purity. Unlike cadmium yellow, #FFA800 carries a faint earthiness; unlike lemon yellow, #FFA800 commands presence. In safety and industrial design, #FFA800 hue signals high visibility with historical weight. Cognitive studies show #FFA800 increases alertness without the anxiety of red—ideal for cautionary but non-threatening contexts. In digital applications, color #FFA800 functions as a high-impact accent for alerts, highlights, and interactive elements. #FFA800 offers strong contrast against deep blues and charcoals, though #FFA800 fails on white—requiring careful pairing for accessibility. Print use demands coated stock for fidelity, and modern formulations avoid toxic pigments while preserving vibrancy. Consumer testing shows higher recall for brands using color #FFA800 in transport and utility sectors. Culturally, color #FFA800 reflects the dawn of industrial color—bold, synthetic, and unapologetic. #FFA800 appears in retro-futurism, transportation design, and art history as a symbol of human-made light. Spiritually, #FFA800 aligns with the solar plexus chakra’s assertive mode: confidence that creates. Designers use color #FFA800 when they want to signal optimism with edge. Its brilliance is deliberate—not naive.

Color Conversion

Convert #FFA800 across different color models and formats. These conversions help designers work seamlessly between digital and print media, ensuring this color maintains its intended appearance across RGB screens, CMYK printers, and HSL color manipulations.

HEX
#FFA800
RGB
rgb(255, 168, 0)
HSL
hsl(40°, 100%, 50%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 34%, 100%, 0%)
HSV
hsv(40°, 100%, 100%)
XYZ
55.2426 49.2653 6.5975
Yxy
49.2653 0.4972 0.4434
Hunter Lab
70.1892 5.4928 9.7328
CIE-Lab
75.6161 22.3714 79.4043

RGB Values & CMYK Values

RGB Values

Red255 / 255 (100%)
100%
Green168 / 255 (66%)
66%
Blue0 / 255 (0%)

CMYK Values

Cyan0 / 100 (0%)
Magenta34 / 100 (34%)
34%
Yellow100 / 100 (100%)
100%
Key (Black)0 / 100 (0%)

Color Variations

#FFA800 harmonies come to life through carefully balanced shades, tints, and tones, giving this color depth and flexibility across light and dark variations. Shades add richness, tints bring an airy softness, and tones soften intensity, making it easy to pair in clean, modern palettes.

Color Harmonies

#FFA800 harmonies create beautiful relationships with other colors based on their position on the color wheel. Each harmony type offers unique design possibilities, enabling cohesive and visually appealing color schemes.

Analogous

Colors adjacent on the color wheel (30° apart)

Complementary

Colors opposite on the color wheel (180° apart)

Split Complementary

Three colors using one base hue and the two hues beside its opposite

Triadic

Three colors evenly spaced (120° apart)

Tetradic

Four colors forming a rectangle on the wheel

Square

Four colors evenly spaced (90° apart)

Double Split

Four colors formed from two base hues and the colors next to their opposites

Monochromatic

Variations of a single hue

Contrast Checker

(WCAG 2.1) Test #FFA800 for accessibility compliance against white and black backgrounds. Proper contrast ensures this color remains readable and usable for all audiences, meeting WCAG 2.1 standards for both normal and large text applications.

#FFFFFF
#FFA800

Sample Text

This is how your text will look with these colors.

Large Text (18pt+)

1.93:1
WCAG AA
WCAG AAA

Normal Text

1.93:1
WCAG AA
WCAG AAA

UI Components

1.93:1
WCAG AA
WCAG AAA

Color Blindness Simulator

See how #FFA800 appears to people with different types of color vision deficiencies. These simulations help create more inclusive designs that consider how this color is perceived across various visual abilities.

Normal Vision

#FFA800

protanopia

#d9d929

Note: These simulations are approximations. Actual color vision deficiency varies by individual.

CSS Examples

Background Color

background-color: #FFA800;

Text Color

color: #FFA800;

Sample Text

Border Color

border: 2px solid #FFA800;

Box Shadow

box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #FFA80040;

Text Shadow

text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #FFA800;

Sample Text

Gradient

background: linear-gradient(135deg, #FFA800 0%, #976400 100%);

#FFA800 Color FAQs

Frequently asked questions about #FFA800 color meaning, symbolism, and applications. Click on any question to expand detailed answers.