What color is #DE985F?

#DE985F is a light, soft orange. In RGB it is rgb(222, 152, 95), and in HSL hsl(27, 66%, 62%).

Is #DE985F accessible as text?

On white, #DE985F has a contrast ratio of 2.40:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 8.76:1 (passes). For text placed on #DE985F, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DE985F?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is orange-400 (#FF8904).

What colors go well with #DE985F?

#DE985F pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #5EA4DE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #DE985F below.

Is #DE985F good for buttons?

#DE985F works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #DE985F — white text only reaches 2.40:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #DE985F the same as CSS darksalmon?

No — #DE985F is not the CSS named color darksalmon, but darksalmon (#E9967A) is the closest CSS named color.

#DE985F Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #DE985F

Not just a swatch — here's how #DE985F works with other colors. Named schemes with #DE985F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #DE985F Secondary #B5651C Accent #747845 Surface #F4ECDD Anchor #3B2A20

This palette keeps Buff 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 #DE985F Surface #E2CEA8 Secondary #B07A55 Accent #95986E Anchor #3E2C20

Buff 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 #DE985F Accent #ACC3B5 Surface #E5D8BE Secondary #9AA09E Anchor #2A314B

Buff 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 #DE985F Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #BAAF9F Ink #2B2723

Buff 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 #DE985F Secondary #EBD1BE Support #9A9186 Ink #17140F

Buff 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 Buff carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #DE985F 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 83/100

Warm

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

Softness 59/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 26/100

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 63/100

High

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

Luxury 34/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 43/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 46/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 41/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 87/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #DE985F

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DE985F with

Light Coral Pear Carolina Blue Greige Taupe

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 7.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F5EBE2 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #DEC25E — 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 #DE985F 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: #DE985F;
  --color-base-rgb: 222 152 95;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(73.7% 0.112 59.0);
  --color-50: #FDF7F2;
  --color-100: #F9E9DC;
  --color-200: #F1D4BB;
  --color-300: #E2B38D;
  --color-400: #D09462;
  --color-500: #B57540;
  --color-600: #8A5D38;
  --color-700: #62452D;
  --color-800: #402F21;
  --color-900: #281E16;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  buff: {
    50: '#FDF7F2',
    100: '#F9E9DC',
    200: '#F1D4BB',
    300: '#E2B38D',
    400: '#D09462',
    500: '#B57540',
    600: '#8A5D38',
    700: '#62452D',
    800: '#402F21',
    900: '#281E16',
  },
}

$base: #DE985F;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FDF7F2;
$base-100: #F9E9DC;
$base-200: #F1D4BB;
$base-300: #E2B38D;
$base-400: #D09462;
$base-500: #B57540;
$base-600: #8A5D38;
$base-700: #62452D;
$base-800: #402F21;
$base-900: #281E16;
$base-hover: #D2762B;
$base-subtle: #F1E0D3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DE985F",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FDF7F2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F9E9DC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F1D4BB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#E2B38D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#D09462",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#B57540",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#8A5D38",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#62452D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#402F21",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#281E16",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DE985F

Color Lab

Pairs with #DE985F

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export