Colors Encyclopedia

Named color

Yellow

Yellow color #FFFF00: RGB 255, 255, 0 and HSL 60°, 100%, 50%. Explore its warm yellow profile, contrast, CSS, palettes and harmonies.

#FFFF00 yellow warm vibrant
HEX #FFFF00
RGB rgb(255, 255, 0)
HSL hsl(60 100% 50%)
CMYK cmyk(0, 0, 100, 0)
Luminance 0.9278
Contrast Black 19.56:1White 1.07:1

Use this color

Create with Yellow

Open a professional color tool with #FFFF00 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 Yellow 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-yellow: #FFFF00;
.bg-yellow { background-color: #FFFF00; }
.text-yellow { color: #FFFF00; }
Open CSS utility pageReusable variables, classes, examples, and implementation notes

Color meaning and use

About Yellow Color

Yellow uses HEX #FFFF00, RGB 255, 255, 0, and HSL 60°, 100%, 50%. The dataset classifies it in the yellow family with warm temperature and vibrant visual character.

No separate named-color neighbor is recorded for this entry. Its relative luminance is 0.9278; black contrast is 19.56:1 and white contrast is 1.07:1, making black the stronger of those two standard foreground choices.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Yellow against black and white text.

Black text19.56:1AA Pass
White text1.07:1AA Fail
AA text options#000000, #1A1A1A, #36454F
AAA text options#000000, #1A1A1A, #36454F
Open WCAG pageDetailed contrast notes, warnings, alternatives, and UI examples

Downloadable color reference infographic

Yellow Color Reference Infographic

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

1200 × 800
Yellow color reference infographic showing #FFFF00, RGB and HSL values, a coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.
Yellow color reference infographic generated from the verified Colors Encyclopedia dataset.
Download WebPDownload SVGOpen full size

Color Harmonies

Blue#0000FF#FF8000#FF8000#80FF00#80FF00Cyan#00FFFFMagenta#FF00FF
Open full Yellow harmony pageComplementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split, and monochromatic sets

Variants

#FFFF5C#FFFF5C#A3A300#A3A300Yellow#FFFF00#E3E31C#E3E31C#F5F589#F5F589#FFFF29#FFFF29

Pairings

Black#000000Blue#0000FF#FF8000#FF8000#80FF00#80FF00Matte 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
Luminance0.9278
Black text19.56:1AA Pass
White text1.07:1AA 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": "#FFFF00",
  "rgb": [
    255,
    255,
    0
  ],
  "hsl": [
    60,
    100,
    50
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    0,
    100,
    0
  ],
  "luminance": 0.9278,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 19.56,
    "white": 1.07
  }
}
WCAG
{
  "AA": [
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#36454F"
  ],
  "AAA": [
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#36454F"
  ]
}
Harmonies
{
  "complementary": "#0000FF",
  "analogous": [
    "#FF8000",
    "#80FF00"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#00FFFF",
    "#FF00FF"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#00FF80",
    "#0000FF",
    "#FF0080"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#007FFF",
    "#7F00FF"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#FFFF5C",
    "#FFFF00",
    "#A3A300"
  ]
}
Variants
{
  "light": "#FFFF5C",
  "dark": "#A3A300",
  "saturated": "#FFFF00",
  "desaturated": "#E3E31C",
  "pastel": "#F5F589",
  "neon": "#FFFF29"
}
Pairings
{
  "best": [
    "#000000",
    "#0000FF",
    "#FF8000",
    "#80FF00"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#E3E31C",
    "#FFFF5C"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#000000"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#FFFF5C",
    "#E3E31C"
  ]
}
Knowledge graph
{
  "nearestColors": [
    "lemon",
    "cadmium-yellow",
    "canary-yellow",
    "chartreuse-green",
    "golden-yellow"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "yellow"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "chartreuse-green-vs-yellow",
    "electric-lime-vs-yellow",
    "yellow-vs-cadmium-yellow",
    "yellow-vs-lemon"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/yellow",
    "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
    "/colors/by-tone/vibrant"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/yellow",
    "/wcag/yellow",
    "/css/colors/yellow",
    "/hex/ffff00",
    "/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/yellow"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/lemon",
      "/colors/cadmium-yellow",
      "/colors/canary-yellow",
      "/colors/chartreuse-green",
      "/colors/golden-yellow",
      "/compare/chartreuse-green-vs-yellow",
      "/compare/electric-lime-vs-yellow",
      "/compare/yellow-vs-cadmium-yellow",
      "/compare/yellow-vs-lemon",
      "/harmonies/yellow",
      "/wcag/yellow",
      "/css/colors/yellow",
      "/hex/ffff00",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  }
}
Full JSON dataset 
{
  "slug": "yellow",
  "name": "Yellow",
  "cssName": "yellow",
  "hex": "#FFFF00",
  "family": "yellow",
  "temperature": "warm",
  "tone": [
    "vibrant"
  ],
  "uses": [
    "web design",
    "CSS color systems",
    "UI prototyping"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "context dependent"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "web interfaces",
      "design systems",
      "technical color references"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "claims that require brand or cultural specificity"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [
    "yellow"
  ],
  "sourceType": "standard",
  "confidence": "high",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.w3.org/TR/css-color-4/#named-colors",
  "origin": {
    "type": "css",
    "notes": "Standard CSS named color."
  },
  "reviewStatus": "auto",
  "editorialNotes": "Generated from CSS named color data and computed color-system properties.",
  "tags": [
    "yellow",
    "warm",
    "vibrant",
    "web-design",
    "css-color-systems",
    "ui-prototyping",
    "context-dependent"
  ],
  "popularity": 82,
  "rgb": [
    255,
    255,
    0
  ],
  "hsl": [
    60,
    100,
    50
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    0,
    100,
    0
  ],
  "luminance": 0.9278,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 19.56,
    "white": 1.07
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#0000FF",
    "analogous": [
      "#FF8000",
      "#80FF00"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#00FFFF",
      "#FF00FF"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#00FF80",
      "#0000FF",
      "#FF0080"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#007FFF",
      "#7F00FF"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#FFFF5C",
      "#FFFF00",
      "#A3A300"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#FFFF5C",
    "dark": "#A3A300",
    "saturated": "#FFFF00",
    "desaturated": "#E3E31C",
    "pastel": "#F5F589",
    "neon": "#FFFF29"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#000000",
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#36454F"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#000000",
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#36454F"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-yellow: #FFFF00;",
    "utility": ".bg-yellow { background-color: #FFFF00; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-yellow { color: #FFFF00; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "lemon",
    "cadmium-yellow",
    "canary-yellow",
    "chartreuse-green",
    "golden-yellow"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "yellow"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "chartreuse-green-vs-yellow",
    "electric-lime-vs-yellow",
    "yellow-vs-cadmium-yellow",
    "yellow-vs-lemon"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/yellow",
    "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
    "/colors/by-tone/vibrant"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/yellow",
    "/wcag/yellow",
    "/css/colors/yellow",
    "/hex/ffff00",
    "/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/yellow"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/lemon",
      "/colors/cadmium-yellow",
      "/colors/canary-yellow",
      "/colors/chartreuse-green",
      "/colors/golden-yellow",
      "/compare/chartreuse-green-vs-yellow",
      "/compare/electric-lime-vs-yellow",
      "/compare/yellow-vs-cadmium-yellow",
      "/compare/yellow-vs-lemon",
      "/harmonies/yellow",
      "/wcag/yellow",
      "/css/colors/yellow",
      "/hex/ffff00",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#000000",
      "#0000FF",
      "#FF8000",
      "#80FF00"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#E3E31C",
      "#FFFF5C"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#000000"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#FFFF5C",
      "#E3E31C"
    ]
  }
}
Dataset manifest Version 1.0.0 Build hash published in manifest Canonical page

Similar Colors

Lemon#FFF700
Cadmium Yellow#FFF600
Canary Yellow#FFEF00
Chartreuse Green#DFFF00
Golden Yellow#FFDF00

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.Yellow accessibilityCheck contrast and WCAG text options for #FFFF00.Yellow CSS utilitiesUse Yellow in CSS variables and utility classes.#FFFF00 HEX atlasOpen the permanent HEX atlas record for conversions and variants.Yellow paletteOpen the generated palette based on Yellow.Yellow harmoniesExplore complementary, analogous, triadic, and tetradic harmonies.