#ECD540Sandstorm (#ECD540) is a very light, saturated yellow with an OKLCH hue of 100°, lightness 0.87 and chroma 0.161. 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 | #ECD540 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(236, 213, 64) |
| HSL | hsl(52, 82%, 59%) |
| HSV | hsv(52, 73%, 93%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 10%, 73%, 7%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(84.9 -7.6 72) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.867 0.161 100) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Sandstorm shifts subtly: leans toward orange; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.6), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#f3cf33 — ΔE 1.6, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#f3d53a — ΔE 1.0, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#ecd540 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#ecd642 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Sandstorm 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 1.48:1 and against black 14.16:1, 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.
#fff4af · #ecd540 · #b8a306 · #8e7d00 · #665a00 · #413800
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.
#ecd540 · #eeb62d · #e99931 · #dd7f3f · #cb684d · #b55457
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.
#ecd540 · #8cc39a · #a89509 · #008e48 · #675b00 · #0c4c26
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.
#ecd540 · #b7b18e · #9b904d · #524fb8 · #3a3200 · #1d1800
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#ecd540 · #b3b5c5 · #84806a · #4b4c56 · #231f08 · #010105
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.
#eff1fd · #c6c8d5 · #999baa · #1f2132 · #02020f · #ecd540
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e4f7d5 · #ecd540 · #96cc8d · #1c70e1 · #383b65 · #041117
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e1f5ff · #ecd540 · #a6bde0 · #874a9d · #354061 · #180e06
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ecd540 · #95becc · #008ead · #811867 · #3c002e · #000408
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ecd540 · #93c1bd · #00938d · #4139a1 · #420014 · #010010
#EFDB62 · #F1E17D · #F4E695 · #F6ECAB · #F9F1C0
#C2AD1B · #998700 · #716300 · #4B4200 · #292200
#E6D56D · #E1D58D · #DCD5A9
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.