Lemon color guide

#FFF700
HEX
#FFF700
RGB
rgb(255, 247, 0)
HSL
hsl(58, 100%, 50%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 3%, 100%, 0%)

The most difficult yellow to place — extremely bright, almost no contrast against white, and it tints anything near it.

Best for
Bold blocks of colour behind black text.

Accessibility

Lemon text on whiteFail
Sample1.13:1
White text on lemonFail
Sample1.13:1
Lemon text on blackAAA
Sample18.56:1
Black text on lemonAAA
Sample18.56:1

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 lemon

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

Lemon color harmonies

Complementary
The opposite hue — highest contrast, best used sparingly.
#FFF700 #0008FF
Analogous
Neighbouring hues that sit together calmly.
#FF7700 #FFF700 #88FF00
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues — vivid but balanced.
#FFF700 #00FFF7 #F700FF
Split complementary
Softer than complementary, with the same tension.
#FFF700 #0088FF #7700FF

Lemon shades and tints

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

#FFFEE5#FFFCB3#FFFB80#FFF94D#FFF71A#E6DE00#B3AD00#807B00#4D4A00#292700

Lemon FAQ

What is the hex code for lemon?

Lemon is #FFF700. In other formats that is rgb(255, 247, 0), hsl(58, 100%, 50%), and approximately cmyk(0%, 3%, 100%, 0%) for print.

What colors go with lemon?

Black, Charcoal, White all pair well with lemon. Bold blocks of colour behind black text.

Is lemon accessible for text?

Not on white: lemon reaches only 1.13:1 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 lemon be black or white?

Use black text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #FFF700.

More yellow colors