Apricot color guide

#FBCEB1
HEX
#FBCEB1
RGB
rgb(251, 206, 177)
HSL
hsl(24, 90%, 84%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 18%, 29%, 2%)

Between peach and tan, with enough grey in it to avoid feeling sugary. It is one of the more useful pale warms because it does not read as pink or as beige.

Best for
Skin-adjacent illustration and warm neutral fills.

Accessibility

Apricot text on whiteFail
Sample1.44:1
White text on apricotFail
Sample1.44:1
Apricot text on blackAAA
Sample14.57:1
Black text on apricotAAA
Sample14.57:1

Ratios follow WCAG 2.1. AA needs 4.5:1 for body text, AAA needs 7:1; large text passes AA at 3:1.

Colors that go with apricot

Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.

Apricot color harmonies

Complementary
The opposite hue — highest contrast, best used sparingly.
#FBCEB1 #B1DEFB
Analogous
Neighbouring hues that sit together calmly.
#FBB1B9 #FBCEB1 #FBF4B1
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues — vivid but balanced.
#FBCEB1 #B1FBCF #CFB1FB
Split complementary
Softer than complementary, with the same tension.
#FBCEB1 #B1FBF4 #B1B9FB

Apricot shades and tints

The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.

#FEF0E7#FBD2B6#F9B486#F69655#F47825#DA5E0B#AA4909#793406#491F04#271102

Apricot FAQ

What is the hex code for apricot?

Apricot is #FBCEB1. In other formats that is rgb(251, 206, 177), hsl(24, 90%, 84%), and approximately cmyk(0%, 18%, 29%, 2%) for print.

What colors go with apricot?

Espresso, Teal, Charcoal all pair well with apricot. Skin-adjacent illustration and warm neutral fills.

Is apricot accessible for text?

Not on white: apricot reaches only 1.44:1 there, below the 4.5:1 WCAG AA threshold. Use it as a background with black text on top, or reserve it for large display type.

Should text on apricot be black or white?

Use black text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #FBCEB1.

More orange colors