What color is #CD9A42?

#CD9A42 is a medium orange. In RGB it is rgb(205, 154, 66), and in HSL hsl(38, 58%, 53%).

Is #CD9A42 accessible as text?

On white, #CD9A42 has a contrast ratio of 2.53:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 8.30:1 (passes). For text placed on #CD9A42, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CD9A42?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is yellow-600 (#D08700).

What colors go well with #CD9A42?

#CD9A42 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #4275CD. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CD9A42 below.

Is #CD9A42 good for buttons?

#CD9A42 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #CD9A42 — white text only reaches 2.53:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CD9A42 the same as CSS goldenrod?

No — #CD9A42 is not the CSS named color goldenrod, but goldenrod (#DAA520) is the closest CSS named color.

#CD9A42 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CD9A42

Not just a swatch — here's how #CD9A42 works with other colors. Named schemes with #CD9A42 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #CD9A42 Secondary #B36716 Accent #717946 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3B2A1F

This palette keeps Butterscotch as the dominant warm neutral, balanced by muted terracotta and olive earth tones and grounded by a deep espresso anchor.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #CD9A42 Surface #E0CFA8 Secondary #AF7B53 Accent #93996F Anchor #3E2C1F

Butterscotch holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #CD9A42 Accent #ABC4B6 Surface #E4D8BE Secondary #9AA09F Anchor #163746

Butterscotch opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #CD9A42 Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B9AF9F Ink #2B2723

Butterscotch sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #CD9A42 Secondary #E0CEB2 Support #9A9186 Ink #17140F

Butterscotch is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Butterscotch carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #CD9A42 actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 82/100

Warm

Reads warm and advancing — inviting, energetic, draws the eye forward.

Softness 56/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 28/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 100/100

Very high

Organic, earthy character — at home in wellness, food and craft brands.

Vintage feel 61/100

High

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 36/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 46/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 53/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 37/100

Low

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 84/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #CD9A42

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CD9A42 with

Terracotta Yellow Green True Blue Greige Army Green

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AAA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 7.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F1EADD for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #CDC842 — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #CD9A42 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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A working theme, generated in seconds.

Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #CD9A42;
  --color-base-rgb: 205 154 66;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(71.8% 0.120 78.2);
  --color-50: #FCF9F2;
  --color-100: #F7EEDE;
  --color-200: #EEDCBF;
  --color-300: #DDC292;
  --color-400: #C9A669;
  --color-500: #AD8847;
  --color-600: #856B3D;
  --color-700: #5F4E30;
  --color-800: #3E3423;
  --color-900: #262117;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  butterscotch: {
    50: '#FCF9F2',
    100: '#F7EEDE',
    200: '#EEDCBF',
    300: '#DDC292',
    400: '#C9A669',
    500: '#AD8847',
    600: '#856B3D',
    700: '#5F4E30',
    800: '#3E3423',
    900: '#262117',
  },
}

$base: #CD9A42;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FCF9F2;
$base-100: #F7EEDE;
$base-200: #EEDCBF;
$base-300: #DDC292;
$base-400: #C9A669;
$base-500: #AD8847;
$base-600: #856B3D;
$base-700: #5F4E30;
$base-800: #3E3423;
$base-900: #262117;
$base-hover: #AB7D2D;
$base-subtle: #EBDFCB;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CD9A42",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FCF9F2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F7EEDE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#EEDCBF",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#DDC292",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C9A669",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#AD8847",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#856B3D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5F4E30",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3E3423",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#262117",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #CD9A42

Color Lab

Pairs with #CD9A42

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export