What color is #FFEF42?

#FFEF42 is a light, vivid yellow. In RGB it is rgb(255, 239, 66), and in HSL hsl(55, 100%, 63%).

Is #FFEF42 accessible as text?

On white, #FFEF42 has a contrast ratio of 1.19:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 17.68:1 (passes). For text placed on #FFEF42, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #FFEF42?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is yellow-300 (#FFDF20).

What colors go well with #FFEF42?

#FFEF42 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #4252FF. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #FFEF42 below.

Is #FFEF42 good for buttons?

#FFEF42 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #FFEF42 — white text only reaches 1.19:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #FFEF42 the same as CSS yellow?

No — #FFEF42 is not the CSS named color yellow, but yellow (#FFFF00) is the closest CSS named color.

#FFEF42 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #FFEF42

Not just a swatch — here's how #FFEF42 works with other colors. Named schemes with #FFEF42 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #FFEF42 Secondary #B1680B Accent #6E7A48 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3A2B1F

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

Modern Café Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #FFEF42 Anchor #392B1F Surface #EEE3D0 Accent #8D9969 Secondary #3B3833

Lemon Yellow anchors this café scheme as the warm mid-tone, lifted by latte cream and a muted sage accent and grounded by espresso brown and a warm charcoal.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #FFEF42 Accent #AAC4B7 Surface #E3D8BE Secondary #9AA09F Anchor #173647

Lemon Yellow 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 #FFEF42 Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8AF9F Ink #2B2723

Lemon Yellow 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 #FFEF42 Secondary #FFFDCC Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Lemon 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 Lemon Yellow carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #FFEF42 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 79/100

Warm

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

Softness 60/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 7/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 44/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 20/100

Very low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 10/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 69/100

High

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 5/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 49/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 69/100

High

Prints close, with a slight loss of vibrancy.

Pairs with #FFEF42

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #FFEF42 with

Light Salmon Green Yellow Iris 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 15.6:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #FAF7DF for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #D0FF42 — 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 #FFEF42 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

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NIGHT
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Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

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Export

:root {
  --color-base: #FFEF42;
  --color-base-rgb: 255 239 66;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(93.7% 0.180 103.9);
  --color-50: #FEFDF0;
  --color-100: #FDFAD8;
  --color-200: #FCF5B1;
  --color-300: #F8ED77;
  --color-400: #ECDE46;
  --color-500: #D2C422;
  --color-600: #9F9523;
  --color-700: #70691F;
  --color-800: #484418;
  --color-900: #2C2A11;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  lemon-yellow: {
    50: '#FEFDF0',
    100: '#FDFAD8',
    200: '#FCF5B1',
    300: '#F8ED77',
    400: '#ECDE46',
    500: '#D2C422',
    600: '#9F9523',
    700: '#70691F',
    800: '#484418',
    900: '#2C2A11',
  },
}

$base: #FFEF42;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEFDF0;
$base-100: #FDFAD8;
$base-200: #FCF5B1;
$base-300: #F8ED77;
$base-400: #ECDE46;
$base-500: #D2C422;
$base-600: #9F9523;
$base-700: #70691F;
$base-800: #484418;
$base-900: #2C2A11;
$base-hover: #FFEA02;
$base-subtle: #F8F5CD;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#FFEF42",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEFDF0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FDFAD8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#FCF5B1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#F8ED77",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#ECDE46",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#D2C422",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#9F9523",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#70691F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#484418",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2C2A11",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #FFEF42

Color Lab

Pairs with #FFEF42

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export