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.
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.
From the archive
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