Showa era
Golden Yellow & Pale Raw Umber
Plate 26 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Golden Yellow, Pale Raw Umber.
#f3a257
orange · 10 palettes
Golden Yellow
About Golden Yellow
Golden Yellow is a mid-tone, vivid orange tone. Its hex value is #f3a257 — that is
RGB 243, 162, 87, or HSL 29°, 87%, 65%.
It holds 10.1:1 contrast against dark, so Golden Yellow works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.1:1; on black 10.1:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Golden Yellow appears in 10 combinations — most often paired with Sulpher Yellow, Pale Raw Umber and Warm Gray.
Colours that go with Golden Yellow
From a standard colour wheel, Golden Yellow anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#f3a257 #57A8F3
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#f3a257 #F3575A #F3F057
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#f3a257 #57F3A2 #A257F3
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#f3a257 #57F3F0 #575AF3
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Golden Yellow
Golden Yellow is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 29°, 87%, 65%), 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 (10.1:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#57A8F3) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#F3575A and #F3F057) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Golden Yellow
Golden 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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