What color is #DDBB12?

#DDBB12 is a medium, vivid amber. In RGB it is rgb(221, 187, 18), and in HSL hsl(50, 85%, 47%).

Is #DDBB12 accessible as text?

On white, #DDBB12 has a contrast ratio of 1.88:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 11.19:1 (passes). For text placed on #DDBB12, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DDBB12?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is yellow-500 (#F0B100).

What colors go well with #DDBB12?

#DDBB12 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1234DE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #DDBB12 below.

Is #DDBB12 good for buttons?

#DDBB12 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #DDBB12 — white text only reaches 1.88:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #DDBB12 the same as CSS goldenrod?

No — #DDBB12 is not the CSS named color goldenrod, but goldenrod (#DAA520) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#DDBB12 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #DDBB12

Not just a swatch — here's how #DDBB12 works with other colors. Named schemes with #DDBB12 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #DDBB12 Secondary #B2680F Accent #6F7A47 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3A2A1F

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

Botanical Studio Lead · 5 colors

Lead #DDBB12 Secondary #546A35 Accent #B2680F Surface #F0E9D6 Anchor #3D2E21

Mustard Yellow leads this botanical set among foliage greens and a terracotta accent, softened by cream and grounded in bark brown.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #DDBB12 Surface #E0CFA8 Secondary #AE7C51 Accent #919970 Anchor #3D2C1F

Mustard Yellow 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 #DDBB12 Accent #AAC4B7 Surface #E4D8BE Secondary #9AA09F Anchor #173747

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #DDBB12 Secondary #F6EBC1 Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Mustard Yellow 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 Mustard Yellow carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #DDBB12 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 84/100

Warm

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

Softness 55/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 21/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 72/100

High

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

Vintage feel 36/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 26/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 62/100

High

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 28/100

Low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 36/100

Low

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 75/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #DDBB12

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DDBB12 with

Persimmon Yellow Green Cerulean 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 9.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F5EFD3 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #BCDE12 — 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 #DDBB12 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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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: #DDBB12;
  --color-base-rgb: 221 187 18;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.8% 0.161 95.5);
  --color-50: #FEFCF0;
  --color-100: #FDF7D8;
  --color-200: #F9EDB4;
  --color-300: #EEDC81;
  --color-400: #DFC853;
  --color-500: #C5AC30;
  --color-600: #96842C;
  --color-700: #6A5E25;
  --color-800: #453E1C;
  --color-900: #2A2613;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  mustard-yellow: {
    50: '#FEFCF0',
    100: '#FDF7D8',
    200: '#F9EDB4',
    300: '#EEDC81',
    400: '#DFC853',
    500: '#C5AC30',
    600: '#96842C',
    700: '#6A5E25',
    800: '#453E1C',
    900: '#2A2613',
  },
}

$base: #DDBB12;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEFCF0;
$base-100: #FDF7D8;
$base-200: #F9EDB4;
$base-300: #EEDC81;
$base-400: #DFC853;
$base-500: #C5AC30;
$base-600: #96842C;
$base-700: #6A5E25;
$base-800: #453E1C;
$base-900: #2A2613;
$base-hover: #B1960E;
$base-subtle: #F1E8BC;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DDBB12",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEFCF0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FDF7D8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F9EDB4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#EEDC81",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#DFC853",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#C5AC30",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#96842C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#6A5E25",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#453E1C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2A2613",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DDBB12

Color Lab

Pairs with #DDBB12

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export