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.

#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.

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.

Showa era

Raw Sienna & Pale Lemon Yellow

Plate 3 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Raw Sienna, Pale Lemon Yellow.

Showa era

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow

Plate 31 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Dark Tyrian Blue

Plate 60 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Dark Tyrian Blue.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Warm Gray

Plate 76 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Warm Gray.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Cerulian Blue

Plate 99 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Cerulian Blue.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Blackish Olive

Plate 109 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Blackish Olive.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Yellow Green

Plate 111 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Yellow Green.

Showa era

Corinthian Pink & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Plate 169 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Corinthian Pink, Pale Lemon Yellow, Warm Gray.

Showa era

Light Brown Drab & Etruscan Red +1

Plate 185 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Etruscan Red, Pale Lemon Yellow.

Showa era

Spinel Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Plate 195 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spinel Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Neutral Gray.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Vinaceous Cinnamon +1

Plate 203 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Vinaceous Cinnamon, Lincoln Green.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Plate 228 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Neutral Gray.

Showa era

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Plate 241 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow, Isabella Color, Dark Medici Blue.

Showa era

Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Plate 261 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Calamine BLue, Warm Gray.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Orange +2

Plate 272 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Orange, Turquoise Green, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Benzol Green +2

Plate 281 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Benzol Green, Cobalt Green, Antwarp Blue.

Showa era

Vistoris Lake & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Plate 290 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Vistoris Lake, Pale Lemon Yellow, Lincoln Green, Cobalt Green.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Pinkish Cinnamon +2

Plate 292 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Pinkish Cinnamon, Isabella Color, Ecru.

Showa era

Eosine Pink & Hay's Russet +2

Plate 336 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eosine Pink, Hay's Russet, Pale Lemon Yellow, Blackish Olive.

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Drop a Pale Lemon 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/pale-lemon-yellow/" width="360" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden;" title="Pale Lemon Yellow — colorcombinations.org"></iframe>

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From the archive

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All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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Pale Lemon Yellow

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About Pale Lemon Yellow

Palettes with Pale Lemon Yellow

Raw Sienna & Pale Lemon Yellow

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow

Pale Lemon Yellow & Dark Tyrian Blue

Pale Lemon Yellow & Warm Gray

Pale Lemon Yellow & Cerulian Blue

Pale Lemon Yellow & Blackish Olive

Pale Lemon Yellow & Yellow Green

Corinthian Pink & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Light Brown Drab & Etruscan Red +1

Spinel Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Pale Lemon Yellow & Vinaceous Cinnamon +1

Carmine Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Pale Lemon Yellow & Orange +2

Pale Lemon Yellow & Benzol Green +2

Vistoris Lake & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Pale Lemon Yellow & Pinkish Cinnamon +2

Eosine Pink & Hay's Russet +2

Embed this color

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