What is the hex code for Orange Yellow?

Orange Yellow is #fcb315. It appears in 8 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".

What does Orange Yellow look like on white and black backgrounds?

Orange Yellow (#fcb315) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 1.81:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 11.60:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

Where does the color Orange Yellow come from?

Orange 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 Orange Yellow in my own design or brand?

Yes. The color name and hex value (#fcb315) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.

#fcb315

yellow · 8 palettes

Orange Yellow

About Orange Yellow

Orange Yellow is a mid-tone, vivid yellow tone. Its hex value is #fcb315 — that is RGB 252, 179, 21, or HSL 41°, 97%, 54%.

It holds 11.6:1 contrast against dark, so Orange Yellow works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.8:1; on black 11.6:1.)

Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Orange Yellow appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with Antwarp Blue, Olive Ocher and Cerulian Blue.

Palettes with Orange Yellow

Orange Yellow appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.

Showa era

Orange Yellow & Antwarp Blue

Plate 114 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Orange Yellow, Antwarp Blue.

Showa era

Olive Ocher & Orange Yellow +1

Plate 148 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Olive Ocher, Orange Yellow, Cerulian Blue.

Showa era

Eosine Pink & Orange Yellow +1

Plate 153 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eosine Pink, Orange Yellow, Citron Yellow.

Showa era

Red Orange & Orange Yellow +1

Plate 164 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Orange Yellow, Violet.

Showa era

Rosolanc Purple & Orange Yellow +1

Plate 170 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Rosolanc Purple, Orange Yellow, Red Violet.

Showa era

Spectrum Red & Orange Yellow +2

Plate 257 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spectrum Red, Orange Yellow, Blue, Aconite Violet.

Showa era

Burnt Sienna & Orange Yellow +2

Plate 286 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Burnt Sienna, Orange Yellow, Peacock Blue, Violet Blue.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Orange Yellow +2

Plate 338 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Orange Yellow, Dusky Green, Grayish Lavender - B.

Embed this color

Drop a Orange Yellow swatch card into any blog post, design review, or color-study reference page. Links back to this color's detail.

<iframe src="https://colorcombinations.org/embed/colors/orange-yellow/" width="360" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden;" title="Orange Yellow — colorcombinations.org"></iframe>

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From the archive

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Orange Yellow

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About Orange Yellow

Palettes with Orange Yellow

Orange Yellow & Antwarp Blue

Olive Ocher & Orange Yellow +1

Eosine Pink & Orange Yellow +1

Red Orange & Orange Yellow +1

Rosolanc Purple & Orange Yellow +1

Spectrum Red & Orange Yellow +2

Burnt Sienna & Orange Yellow +2

Carmine Red & Orange Yellow +2

Embed this color

Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.