What color is #EC9C46?

#EC9C46 is a medium, vivid orange. In RGB it is rgb(236, 156, 70), and in HSL hsl(31, 81%, 60%).

Is #EC9C46 accessible as text?

On white, #EC9C46 has a contrast ratio of 2.23:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 9.41:1 (passes). For text placed on #EC9C46, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #EC9C46?

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

What colors go well with #EC9C46?

#EC9C46 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #4696EC. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #EC9C46 below.

Is #EC9C46 good for buttons?

#EC9C46 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #EC9C46 — white text only reaches 2.23:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #EC9C46 the same as CSS sandybrown?

No — #EC9C46 is not the CSS named color sandybrown, but sandybrown (#F4A460) is the closest CSS named color.

#EC9C46 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #EC9C46

Not just a swatch — here's how #EC9C46 works with other colors. Named schemes with #EC9C46 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #EC9C46 Secondary #B4661B 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 #EC9C46 Surface #E1CEA8 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 #EC9C46 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 #EC9C46 Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #BAAF9F 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 #EC9C46 Secondary #F5D7BC 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 #EC9C46 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 90/100

Warm

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

Softness 56/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 25/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 93/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 50/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 31/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 53/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 41/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 35/100

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 #EC9C46

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #EC9C46 with

Neon Coral 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 8.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F6EBDF for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #ECD346 — 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 #EC9C46 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: #EC9C46;
  --color-base-rgb: 236 156 70;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(75.7% 0.138 64.7);
  --color-50: #FEF8F1;
  --color-100: #FCEBD9;
  --color-200: #F7D7B5;
  --color-300: #ECB983;
  --color-400: #DC9B56;
  --color-500: #C27D33;
  --color-600: #93632E;
  --color-700: #684827;
  --color-800: #44311D;
  --color-900: #2A1F14;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  butterscotch: {
    50: '#FEF8F1',
    100: '#FCEBD9',
    200: '#F7D7B5',
    300: '#ECB983',
    400: '#DC9B56',
    500: '#C27D33',
    600: '#93632E',
    700: '#684827',
    800: '#44311D',
    900: '#2A1F14',
  },
}

$base: #EC9C46;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEF8F1;
$base-100: #FCEBD9;
$base-200: #F7D7B5;
$base-300: #ECB983;
$base-400: #DC9B56;
$base-500: #C27D33;
$base-600: #93632E;
$base-700: #684827;
$base-800: #44311D;
$base-900: #2A1F14;
$base-hover: #DE7E17;
$base-subtle: #F3E1CE;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#EC9C46",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF8F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FCEBD9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F7D7B5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#ECB983",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#DC9B56",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#C27D33",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#93632E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#684827",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#44311D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2A1F14",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #EC9C46

Color Lab

Pairs with #EC9C46

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export