Showa era
Raw Sienna & Pale Lemon Yellow
Plate 3 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Raw Sienna, Pale Lemon Yellow.
#ffefae
yellow · 19 palettes
Pale Lemon Yellow
About Pale Lemon Yellow
Pale Lemon Yellow is a light, vivid yellow tone. Its hex value is #ffefae — that is
RGB 255, 239, 174, or HSL 48°, 100%, 84%.
It holds 18.2:1 contrast against dark, so Pale Lemon Yellow works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.2:1; on black 18.2:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Pale Lemon Yellow appears in 19 combinations — most often paired with Warm Gray, Red Orange and Blackish Olive.
Colours that go with Pale Lemon Yellow
From a standard colour wheel, Pale Lemon Yellow anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#ffefae #AEBEFF
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#ffefae #FFC7AE #E7FFAE
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#ffefae #AEFFEF #EFAEFF
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#ffefae #AEE7FF #C7AEFF
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Pale Lemon Yellow
Pale Lemon Yellow is a light, vivid tone (HSL 48°, 100%, 84%), which makes it a soft background or a light accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (18.2:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use dark lettering. Pair it with its complement (#AEBEFF) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#FFC7AE and #E7FFAE) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Pale Lemon 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.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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...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
ColorChecker Passport Photo 2
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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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.
Listed on Amazon as Strathmore 300 Series Tape Bound Watercolor Pad, 140 lb. Cold Press, 11 X 15 inches, White, 12 Sheets (360-111)
View on Amazon
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Palettes with Pale Lemon Yellow
Pale Lemon Yellow appears in 19 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 Pale Lemon Yellow
- What is the hex code for Pale Lemon Yellow?
- Pale Lemon Yellow is #ffefae. It appears in 19 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Pale Lemon Yellow look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Pale Lemon Yellow (#ffefae) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 1.15:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 18.21:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Pale Lemon Yellow come from?
- Pale Lemon 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 Pale Lemon Yellow in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#ffefae) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.
- All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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- 378 museum SVG plates — print-ready at any size
- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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