Colors Encyclopedia

Named color

Saffron

Saffron color #F4C430: RGB 244, 196, 48 and HSL 45°, 90%, 57%. Explore its warm yellow profile, contrast, CSS, palettes and harmonies.

#F4C430 yellow warm vibrant
HEX #F4C430
RGB rgb(244, 196, 48)
HSL hsl(45 90% 57%)
CMYK cmyk(0, 20, 80, 4)
Luminance 0.5893
Contrast Black 12.79:1White 1.64:1

Use this color

Create with Saffron

Open a professional color tool with #F4C430 already applied. Each configuration stays canonical to the tool and can be adjusted or shared.

All color tools
Generate palette & CSS variablesCreate 50–950 tokens and export CSS, SCSS, JSON, or Tailwind.Open configured tool →Open in Gradient StudioStart with Saffron and its complementary color.Open configured tool →Mix this colorBlend it with a complementary color and copy color-mix() CSS.Open configured tool →Check contrastOpen the strongest black or white background pairing.Open configured tool →Accessible combinationsReview AA and AAA text options, alternatives, warnings, and UI guidance.Open configured tool →Create glass surfaceUse this color as the tint for a translucent UI panel.Open configured tool →

CSS Utilities

--color-saffron: #F4C430;
.bg-saffron { background-color: #F4C430; }
.text-saffron { color: #F4C430; }
Open CSS utility pageReusable variables, classes, examples, and implementation notes

Color history, meaning and use · Editorially reviewed

About Saffron Color

Saffron comes from the vivid red-orange stigmas of Crocus sativus. Beyond its culinary use, the plant material served as a colorant in textiles and manuscript illumination. Medieval artists valued vegetable yellows partly because they could suggest gold while avoiding some of the hazards associated with mineral yellows such as realgar and orpiment.

Digital Saffron occupies a warm yellow-orange zone that can feel ceremonial, culinary, or sunlit depending on its companions. Deep blue heightens its chromatic energy, while cream and brown emphasize the spice connection. The actual stigmas, extracted dye, painted layer, and screen swatch are different materials and should not be expected to match exactly.

This HEX is a modern color reference inspired by saffron and is not a specification for the spice, a dye bath, or a historic manuscript pigment.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Saffron against black and white text.

Black text12.79:1AA Pass
White text1.64:1AA Fail
AA text options#000000, #1A1A1A, #36454F
AAA text options#000000, #1A1A1A
Open WCAG pageDetailed contrast notes, warnings, alternatives, and UI examples

Downloadable color reference infographic

Saffron Color Reference Infographic

Save a high-resolution infographic of Saffron, including its color values, coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.

1200 × 800
Saffron color reference infographic showing #F4C430, RGB and HSL values, a coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.
Saffron color reference infographic generated from the verified Colors Encyclopedia dataset.
Download WebPDownload SVGOpen full size

Color Harmonies

#2F60F4#2F60F4#F4602F#F4602F#C3F42F#C3F42F#2FF4C3#2FF4C3#C32FF4#C32FF4
Open full Saffron harmony pageComplementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split, and monochromatic sets

Variants

#F9DC86#F9DC86#BD900A#BD900A#FFC824#FFC824#DCB747#DCB747#F4E2AF#F4E2AF#FFD24D#FFD24D

Pairings

Black#000000#2F60F4#2F60F4#F4602F#F4602F#C3F42F#C3F42FMatte Black#1A1A1AWhite Smoke#F5F5F5

Machine-readable data

Machine-Readable Color Data (JSON)

Perfect for CSS, design systems, automation, and AI ingestion.

AI-Ready Dataset v1.0.0
Luminance0.5893
Black text12.79:1AA Pass
White text1.64:1AA Fail
hexCanonical HEX value
rgbRed, green, blue channels
hslHue, saturation, lightness
cmykApproximate print conversion
wcagAA and AAA contrast options
harmoniesMathematical harmony sets
variantsGenerated tone variants
nearestColorsKnowledge graph neighbors
Download JSON Open API
Structured sections
Color systems
{
  "hex": "#F4C430",
  "rgb": [
    244,
    196,
    48
  ],
  "hsl": [
    45,
    90,
    57
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    20,
    80,
    4
  ],
  "luminance": 0.5893,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 12.79,
    "white": 1.64
  }
}
WCAG
{
  "AA": [
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#36454F"
  ],
  "AAA": [
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A"
  ]
}
Harmonies
{
  "complementary": "#2F60F4",
  "analogous": [
    "#F4602F",
    "#C3F42F"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#2FF4C3",
    "#C32FF4"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#2FF460",
    "#2F60F4",
    "#F42FC3"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#2FC3F4",
    "#602FF4"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#F9DC86",
    "#F4C430",
    "#BD900A"
  ]
}
Variants
{
  "light": "#F9DC86",
  "dark": "#BD900A",
  "saturated": "#FFC824",
  "desaturated": "#DCB747",
  "pastel": "#F4E2AF",
  "neon": "#FFD24D"
}
Pairings
{
  "best": [
    "#000000",
    "#2F60F4",
    "#F4602F",
    "#C3F42F"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#DCB747",
    "#F9DC86"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#000000"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#F9DC86",
    "#DCB747"
  ]
}
Knowledge graph
{
  "nearestColors": [
    "buttercup",
    "dandelion",
    "sunflower",
    "marigold",
    "honey"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "saffron"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "buttercup-vs-saffron",
    "dandelion-vs-saffron"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/yellow",
    "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
    "/colors/by-tone/vibrant"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/saffron",
    "/wcag/saffron",
    "/css/colors/saffron",
    "/hex/f4c430",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/yellow",
      "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
      "/colors/by-tone/vibrant"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/saffron"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/buttercup",
      "/colors/dandelion",
      "/colors/sunflower",
      "/colors/marigold",
      "/colors/honey",
      "/compare/buttercup-vs-saffron",
      "/compare/dandelion-vs-saffron",
      "/harmonies/saffron",
      "/wcag/saffron",
      "/css/colors/saffron",
      "/hex/f4c430",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  }
}
Full JSON dataset 
{
  "slug": "saffron",
  "name": "Saffron",
  "hex": "#F4C430",
  "uses": [
    "highlight colors",
    "editorial accents",
    "warm backgrounds"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "optimism",
      "clarity",
      "warmth"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "education",
      "food",
      "lifestyle",
      "print design"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "long-form text backgrounds at high saturation"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [],
  "sourceType": "curated",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "reviewStatus": "manual",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/assets/colors.json",
  "origin": {
    "type": "common",
    "notes": "Curated common color reference used in design and editorial color systems."
  },
  "family": "yellow",
  "temperature": "warm",
  "tone": [
    "vibrant"
  ],
  "editorialNotes": "Curated internal color record with computed technical properties.",
  "tags": [
    "yellow",
    "warm",
    "vibrant",
    "highlight-colors",
    "editorial-accents",
    "warm-backgrounds",
    "optimism",
    "clarity",
    "warmth"
  ],
  "popularity": 84,
  "rgb": [
    244,
    196,
    48
  ],
  "hsl": [
    45,
    90,
    57
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    20,
    80,
    4
  ],
  "luminance": 0.5893,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 12.79,
    "white": 1.64
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#2F60F4",
    "analogous": [
      "#F4602F",
      "#C3F42F"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#2FF4C3",
      "#C32FF4"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#2FF460",
      "#2F60F4",
      "#F42FC3"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#2FC3F4",
      "#602FF4"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#F9DC86",
      "#F4C430",
      "#BD900A"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#F9DC86",
    "dark": "#BD900A",
    "saturated": "#FFC824",
    "desaturated": "#DCB747",
    "pastel": "#F4E2AF",
    "neon": "#FFD24D"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#000000",
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#36454F"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#000000",
      "#1A1A1A"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-saffron: #F4C430;",
    "utility": ".bg-saffron { background-color: #F4C430; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-saffron { color: #F4C430; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "buttercup",
    "dandelion",
    "sunflower",
    "marigold",
    "honey"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "saffron"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "buttercup-vs-saffron",
    "dandelion-vs-saffron"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/yellow",
    "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
    "/colors/by-tone/vibrant"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/saffron",
    "/wcag/saffron",
    "/css/colors/saffron",
    "/hex/f4c430",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/yellow",
      "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
      "/colors/by-tone/vibrant"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/saffron"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/buttercup",
      "/colors/dandelion",
      "/colors/sunflower",
      "/colors/marigold",
      "/colors/honey",
      "/compare/buttercup-vs-saffron",
      "/compare/dandelion-vs-saffron",
      "/harmonies/saffron",
      "/wcag/saffron",
      "/css/colors/saffron",
      "/hex/f4c430",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#000000",
      "#2F60F4",
      "#F4602F",
      "#C3F42F"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#DCB747",
      "#F9DC86"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#000000"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#F9DC86",
      "#DCB747"
    ]
  }
}
Dataset manifest Version 1.0.0 Build hash published in manifest Canonical page

Similar Colors

Buttercup#F3C13A
Dandelion#F0E130
Sunflower#FFC512
Marigold#EAA221
Honey#FFC30B

Related Color Guides

Yellow color familyBrowse named yellow colors and compare nearby swatches.Warm colorsExplore colors with warm temperature behavior.Vibrant colorsFind colors with vibrant visual character.Saffron accessibilityCheck contrast and WCAG text options for #F4C430.Saffron CSS utilitiesUse Saffron in CSS variables and utility classes.#F4C430 HEX atlasOpen the permanent HEX atlas record for conversions and variants.Saffron paletteOpen the generated palette based on Saffron.Saffron harmoniesExplore complementary, analogous, triadic, and tetradic harmonies.