#C9C659 Color
#C9C659 is rgb(201, 198, 89) in RGB, hsl(58, 51%, 57%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 1%, 56%, 21%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Straw (#E4D96F), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 8.18. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#C9C659rgb(201, 198, 89)hsl(58, 51%, 57%)hsv(58, 56%, 79%)cmyk(0%, 1%, 56%, 21%)oklch(80.7% 0.131 107.6)lab(78.51% -9.34 53.75)lch(78.51% 54.56 99.85)What #C9C659 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 #C9C659, 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.
#C9C659 Channel Values
How #C9C659 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 201 · G 198 · B 89 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 58° · S 51% · L 57% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 58° · S 56% · V 79% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 1% · Y 56% · K 21% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 1.79:1 vs white · 11.71:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #C9C659 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 #C9C659 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #C9C659
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #C9C659; 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 #C9C659
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 #C9C659.
How #C9C659 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.
#C9C659#C7C759#C8C659#C7C759#C8C759#D2BDBD#CEC09E#C1C1C1Using #C9C659 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-c9c659: #C9C659;background-color: #C9C659;colors: { 'color-c9c659': '#C9C659' }Color(red: 0.788, green: 0.776, blue: 0.349)<color name="color_c9c659">#C9C659</color>fill="#C9C659"More Yellow Colors
#C9C659 sits in the yellow family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#C9C659 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #C9C659?
#C9C659 is a mid-tone yellow — rgb(201, 198, 89) in RGB and hsl(58, 51%, 57%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Straw (#E4D96F), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 8.18.
What is the RGB value of #C9C659?
#C9C659 is rgb(201, 198, 89) — red 201, green 198, and blue 89 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #C9C659?
#C9C659 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 1%, 56%, 21%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #C9C659 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #C9C659 scores 1.79:1 against white and 11.71:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #C9C659 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #C9C659 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 khaki (#F0E68C) at a CIE76 distance of 15.42, which is visibly different.
Open #C9C659 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.