Showa era
Apricot Yellow & Light Grayish Olive
Plate 107 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Apricot Yellow, Light Grayish Olive.
#ffdd00
yellow · 10 palettes
Apricot Yellow
About Apricot Yellow
Apricot Yellow is a mid-tone, vivid yellow tone. Its hex value is #ffdd00 — that is
RGB 255, 221, 0, or HSL 52°, 100%, 50%.
It holds 15.6:1 contrast against dark, so Apricot Yellow works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.3:1; on black 15.6:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Apricot Yellow appears in 10 combinations — most often paired with Turquoise Green, Raw Sienna and Light Grayish Olive.
Colours that go with Apricot Yellow
From a standard colour wheel, Apricot Yellow anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#ffdd00 #0022FF
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#ffdd00 #FF5E00 #A2FF00
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#ffdd00 #00FFDD #DD00FF
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#ffdd00 #00A2FF #5D00FF
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Apricot Yellow
Apricot Yellow is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 52°, 100%, 50%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (15.6:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use dark lettering. Pair it with its complement (#0022FF) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#FF5E00 and #A2FF00) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Apricot Yellow off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
-
...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
View on Amazon -
...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 36
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
View on Amazon
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Palettes with Apricot Yellow
Apricot Yellow appears in 10 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Apricot Yellow
- What is the hex code for Apricot Yellow?
- Apricot Yellow is #ffdd00. It appears in 10 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Apricot Yellow look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Apricot Yellow (#ffdd00) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 1.35:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 15.59:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Apricot Yellow come from?
- Apricot Yellow is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued yellow pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Apricot Yellow in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#ffdd00) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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