What color is #EC9B38?

#EC9B38 is a medium, vivid orange. In RGB it is rgb(236, 155, 56), and in HSL hsl(33, 83%, 57%).

Is #EC9B38 accessible as text?

On white, #EC9B38 has a contrast ratio of 2.26:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 9.31:1 (passes). For text placed on #EC9B38, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #EC9B38?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is amber-500 (#FE9A00).

What colors go well with #EC9B38?

#EC9B38 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #3688EC. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #EC9B38 below.

Is #EC9B38 good for buttons?

#EC9B38 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #EC9B38 — white text only reaches 2.26:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #EC9B38 the same as CSS sandybrown?

No — #EC9B38 is not the CSS named color sandybrown, but sandybrown (#F4A460) is the closest CSS named color.

#EC9B38 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #EC9B38

Not just a swatch — here's how #EC9B38 works with other colors. Named schemes with #EC9B38 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #EC9B38 Secondary #B4661A Accent #737945 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3B2A20

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 #EC9B38 Surface #E1CFA8 Secondary #AF7A54 Accent #94986F Anchor #3E2C20

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 #EC9B38 Accent #ABC4B5 Surface #E5D8BE Secondary #9AA09F Anchor #2A314B

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 #EC9B38 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 #EC9B38 Secondary #F4D6B9 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.

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Color Lab

How #EC9B38 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 91/100

Warm

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

Softness 55/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 25/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 90/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 48/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 31/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 56/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 42/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 32/100

Low

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 83/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #EC9B38

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #EC9B38 with

Tomato Red Pear Cornflower 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 8.2:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F6EADC for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #ECD736 — 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 #EC9B38 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: #EC9B38;
  --color-base-rgb: 236 155 56;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(75.5% 0.146 67.0);
  --color-50: #FEF8F0;
  --color-100: #FDECD9;
  --color-200: #F8DAB4;
  --color-300: #EDBD82;
  --color-400: #DEA054;
  --color-500: #C38231;
  --color-600: #95662D;
  --color-700: #694B26;
  --color-800: #44321C;
  --color-900: #2A2013;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  butterscotch: {
    50: '#FEF8F0',
    100: '#FDECD9',
    200: '#F8DAB4',
    300: '#EDBD82',
    400: '#DEA054',
    500: '#C38231',
    600: '#95662D',
    700: '#694B26',
    800: '#44321C',
    900: '#2A2013',
  },
}

$base: #EC9B38;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEF8F0;
$base-100: #FDECD9;
$base-200: #F8DAB4;
$base-300: #EDBD82;
$base-400: #DEA054;
$base-500: #C38231;
$base-600: #95662D;
$base-700: #694B26;
$base-800: #44321C;
$base-900: #2A2013;
$base-hover: #D57E14;
$base-subtle: #F3E0C9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#EC9B38",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF8F0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FDECD9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F8DAB4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#EDBD82",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#DEA054",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#C38231",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#95662D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#694B26",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#44321C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2A2013",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #EC9B38

Color Lab

Pairs with #EC9B38

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export