#FFFF81Butter (#FFFF81) is a near-white, saturated yellow with an OKLCH hue of 109°, lightness 0.98 and chroma 0.148. It sits on the warm side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #FFFF81 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(255, 255, 129) |
| HSL | hsl(60, 100%, 75%) |
| HSV | hsv(60, 49%, 100%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 0%, 49%, 0%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(97.8 -16.5 59.5) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.975 0.148 109) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Butter shifts subtly: leans toward orange, reads darker; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.8), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#fff874 — ΔE 1.8, shifts subtly: leans toward orange, reads darker#ffff7c — ΔE 0.5, is virtually unchanged#ffff81 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#ffff84 — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Butter in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.
Against white it measures 1.06:1 and against black 19.87:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.
One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.
#ffff81 · #d1d05e · #a9a83f · #83821f · #5e5d00 · #3b3b00
The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.
#ffff81 · #ffe17f · #ffc466 · #f8a861 · #e98f66 · #d57a6d
The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.
#ffff81 · #8bc5a6 · #9d9d32 · #008f5f · #616000 · #044e32
One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.
#ffff81 · #d4d6b4 · #b3b477 · #91925c · #6754b6 · #343412
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#ffff81 · #d8d7e6 · #999a85 · #5b5a64 · #272712 · #010004
This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.
#f1f0fc · #c8c7d5 · #9b9aa9 · #222032 · #03020e · #ffff81
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#ffff81 · #d7d5f6 · #968bdc · #5b48a8 · #280f5d · #040300
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#ffff81 · #baeaef · #d383d9 · #676f90 · #3b3855 · #051103
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffff81 · #bce0f1 · #32a5d2 · #942f69 · #49002e · #00050c
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ffff81 · #b8e3e4 · #00adb3 · #5b48a8 · #4e000f · #030013
#FDFE92 · #FCFDA2 · #FBFCB1 · #F9FBBE · #F8F9CB
#D0D05D · #A3A239 · #78770F · #4F4E00 · #292900
#FDFE9F · #FBFCB9 · #F9FBD1
Its moderate chroma lets it work in mid-size areas — upholstery, secondary UI surfaces, editorial blocks — without overwhelming neighbors. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.