#BDB999 Color
#BDB999 is rgb(189, 185, 153) in RGB, hsl(53, 21%, 67%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 2%, 19%, 26%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Khaki (Web) (Khaki) (#C3B091), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 6.53. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#BDB999rgb(189, 185, 153)hsl(53, 21%, 67%)hsv(53, 19%, 74%)cmyk(0%, 2%, 19%, 26%)oklch(78.1% 0.044 101.5)lab(74.85% -2.51 16.85)lch(74.85% 17.04 98.46)What #BDB999 Is Called
Most hex codes have no name: there are 16.7 million of them and a few thousand registered names. These are the named colors nearest to #BDB999, ordered by CIE76 distance in CIELAB. Anything under about ΔE 2 is a difference most people cannot see.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every yellow in the library.
#BDB999 Channel Values
How #BDB999 breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.
| Model | Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | R 189 · G 185 · B 153 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 53° · S 21% · L 67% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 53° · S 19% · V 74% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 2% · Y 19% · K 26% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 1.99:1 vs white · 10.56:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #BDB999 background. AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Contrast is one check, not a full accessibility review.
Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #BDB999 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #BDB999
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #BDB999; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.
Tints & Shades of #BDB999
Lighter tints and darker shades built by moving the lightness channel while holding hue and saturation, which is what you want for hover states, backgrounds, and text variants.
Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #BDB999.
How #BDB999 Looks with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulated with the Viénot, Brettel & Mollon LMS projection model. Anomalous types are rendered as partial versions of the matching dichromacy, which is an approximation rather than a per-person clinical model.
#BDB999#BABA99#BBB999#BABA99#BBBA99#C0B5B5#BFB7AB#B8B8B8Using #BDB999 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-bdb999: #BDB999;background-color: #BDB999;colors: { 'color-bdb999': '#BDB999' }Color(red: 0.741, green: 0.725, blue: 0.600)<color name="color_bdb999">#BDB999</color>fill="#BDB999"More Yellow Colors
#BDB999 sits in the yellow family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#BDB999 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #BDB999?
#BDB999 is a light yellow — rgb(189, 185, 153) in RGB and hsl(53, 21%, 67%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Khaki (Web) (Khaki) (#C3B091), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 6.53.
What is the RGB value of #BDB999?
#BDB999 is rgb(189, 185, 153) — red 189, green 185, and blue 153 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #BDB999?
#BDB999 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 2%, 19%, 26%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #BDB999 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #BDB999 scores 1.99:1 against white and 10.56:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #BDB999 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #BDB999 is not one of the CSS color keywords, so it has to be written as a hex, rgb() or hsl() value. The closest keyword is tan (#D2B48C) at a CIE76 distance of 12.26, which is visibly different.
Open #BDB999 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.