What colors are in the "Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow" palette?

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow contains 2 colors: Red Orange (#dd4027), Pale Lemon Yellow (#ffefae). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada documented historical Japanese color combinations from the showa era and earlier periods. The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow" palette belong to?

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 31 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow.

Can I use the "Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 31 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A two-colour pairing of Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

This palette is inspired by the tradition of Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, which cataloged combinations drawn from centuries of Japanese cultural life. The specific colors here use traditional shikisai names that have been in the public domain for generations.

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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: red
Moods: refined, warm, austere
Colors: 2

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Red Orange on Pale Lemon Yellow — 3.76:1 (AA Large)

Red Orange·Pale Lemon Yellow3.76:1AA Large

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

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From the editorial · Long read

Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

What it actually means for color when a tradition values age over newness — the tea-room palette, three exemplars, and the anti-patterns to avoid.

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Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.

Showa era

Grenadine Pink & Deep Indigo

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Showa era

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Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow

About this combination

Historical context

Embed this palette

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Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

Celadon & Unbleached— 青磁と生成

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey— 刈安と利休鼠

Royal Purple & Silver— 紫と銀

Grenadine Pink & Deep Indigo

Vandyke Red & Pale King's Blue

Eugenia Red | B & Sea Green