#FDEFADThunderbolt (#FDEFAD) is a near-white, soft yellow with an OKLCH hue of 98°, lightness 0.95 and chroma 0.085. 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 | #FDEFAD |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(253, 239, 173) |
| HSL | hsl(50, 95%, 84%) |
| HSV | hsv(50, 32%, 99%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 6%, 32%, 1%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(94.2 -4.9 33.7) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.948 0.085 98) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Thunderbolt shifts subtly: leans toward orange; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.7), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#ffe9a0 — ΔE 1.7, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#fff0a8 — ΔE 0.8, is virtually unchanged#fdefad — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#fdf0b0 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Thunderbolt 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 1.16:1 and against black 18.13:1, 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.
#fdefad · #d7ca8e · #aea36d · #877d4d · #62592f · #403812
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.
#fdefad · #f5d59d · #eabd91 · #dba68a · #c99184 · #b47e80
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.
#fdefad · #9bb59f · #9a8f5b · #4b7f56 · #5f5525 · #28412d
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.
#fdefad · #cecab8 · #afa886 · #8c8669 · #53598e · #2f2b1a
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#fdefad · #ced0d8 · #949286 · #56575d · #262419 · #010102
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.
#eff1fb · #c6c8d4 · #999ba9 · #202231 · #03030e · #fdefad
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#fdefad · #cccfe1 · #878ebc · #4d5287 · #1c1f46 · #070400
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#fdefad · #cccfe1 · #7096ba · #654a7c · #002544 · #020006
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#fdefad · #bfd5db · #5f9cad · #764468 · #391430 · #000407
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#fdefad · #bfd6d3 · #5e9f99 · #4d5287 · #3f111d · #010009
#FCF0B7 · #FCF1C0 · #FBF2C9 · #FAF4D2 · #FAF5DB
#CFC287 · #A39863 · #796F41 · #514920 · #2D2502
#FAEFBC · #F6EFCA · #F3EED7
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.