#FDCB18Goldenrod (#FDCB18) is a very light, saturated yellow with an OKLCH hue of 90°, lightness 0.86 and chroma 0.173. 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 | #FDCB18 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(253, 203, 24) |
| HSL | hsl(47, 98%, 54%) |
| HSV | hsv(47, 91%, 99%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 20%, 91%, 1%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(83.8 3.6 82.2) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.862 0.173 90) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Goldenrod shifts subtly: leans toward orange; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.4), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#ffc500 — ΔE 1.4, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#ffcb08 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchanged#fdcb18 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#fdcc1c — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Goldenrod 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 1.53:1 and against black 13.73:1, 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.
#fff1cb · #fdcb18 · #c59d00 · #987800 · #6e5600 · #463600
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.
#ebe575 · #fdcb18 · #fbac20 · #f29038 · #e1774c · #cb625a
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.
#fdcb18 · #92c08d · #b38e00 · #248c1d · #6d5500 · #1a4917
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.
#fdcb18 · #bbae89 · #a38a44 · #374bb8 · #3d2f00 · #1e1500
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#fdcb18 · #afb4c5 · #867e67 · #484c57 · #261e05 · #000105
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.
#eef2fd · #c4c9d6 · #969baa · #1c2233 · #01020f · #fdcb18
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e6f2cd · #fdcb18 · #adc796 · #1a6aa2 · #304168 · #061418
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#c7f6ec · #fdcb18 · #c0b5e3 · #7b749c · #395c78 · #0a1103
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#fdcb18 · #8fbec7 · #008ea0 · #7b1477 · #390037 · #000305
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#fdcb18 · #91c0b6 · #009381 · #2c3ca8 · #40001d · #010011
#FED24F · #FFDA70 · #FFE18D · #FFE8A7 · #FFEEC0
#CFA500 · #A38100 · #785F00 · #513E00 · #2C2000
#F4CD5E · #EBCF84 · #E1D0A3
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.