#F4C430Saffron (#F4C430) is a very light, saturated yellow with an OKLCH hue of 89°, lightness 0.84 and chroma 0.16. 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 | #F4C430 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(244, 196, 48) |
| HSL | hsl(45, 90%, 57%) |
| HSV | hsv(45, 80%, 96%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 20%, 80%, 4%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(81.3 3.9 74.1) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.840 0.160 89) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Saffron shifts subtly: leans toward orange; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.5), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#f9be22 — ΔE 1.5, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#fac429 — ΔE 0.9, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#f4c430 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#f4c532 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedAgainst white it measures 1.64:1 and against black 12.79:1, 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.
#fff1cd · #f4c430 · #c69c00 · #997800 · #6e5600 · #473500
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.
#eae37d · #f4c430 · #f1a631 · #e68b3f · #d5734e · #bf5f59
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.
#f4c430 · #8fb889 · #ac8700 · #2b841d · #664f00 · #1a4314
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.
#fbeecb · #f4c430 · #bea565 · #99844b · #364eb1 · #362903
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f4c430 · #a8aebd · #817964 · #454953 · #251c06 · #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.
#edf2fd · #c4c9d6 · #969cab · #1d2334 · #010310 · #f4c430
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e2edc8 · #f4c430 · #a3bb85 · #2485d4 · #2c3e6b · #041013
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#c2f1ea · #f4c430 · #bda6de · #425f7a · #333f5e · #0d1104
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#f4c430 · #8bb7be · #008999 · #741a72 · #370036 · #000304
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#f4c430 · #8db8ae · #008d7b · #283c9e · #3e001c · #010012
#F6CC58 · #F9D575 · #FBDD8F · #FDE5A7 · #FFEDBE
#CA9F00 · #9F7C00 · #765B00 · #4F3C00 · #2B1F00
#EBC662 · #E2C884 · #DAC9A0
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.