Canary Yellow (#FFEF00)
The hex code for Canary Yellow is #FFEF00. It is rgb(255, 239, 0) in RGB, hsl(56, 100%, 50%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 6%, 100%, 0%) in CMYK — a mid-tone yellow. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#FFEF00rgb(255, 239, 0)hsl(56, 100%, 50%)hsv(56, 100%, 100%)cmyk(0%, 6%, 100%, 0%)oklch(93.5% 0.198 104.7)lab(93.51% -8.44 90.59)lch(93.51% 90.98 95.32)Colors Closest to Canary Yellow
Canary Yellow is a registered color name, also listed as Yellow (Process). These are the named colors nearest to it, measured as CIE76 distance in CIELAB — a perceptual scale, so the ordering matches what the eye sees rather than how close the raw RGB numbers happen to sit.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every yellow in the library.
#FFEF00 Channel Values
How Canary Yellow 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 255 · G 239 · B 0 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 56° · S 100% · L 50% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 56° · S 100% · V 100% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 6% · Y 100% · K 0% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 1.19:1 vs white · 17.6:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Canary Yellow 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 #FFEF00 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With Canary Yellow
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Canary Yellow; 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 Canary Yellow
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 #FFEF00.
How Canary Yellow 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.
#FFEF00#F2F200#F7F100#F4F400#F9F200#FFE1E1#FFE7B3#EBEBEBUsing #FFEF00 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--canary-yellow: #FFEF00;background-color: #FFEF00;colors: { 'canary-yellow': '#FFEF00' }Color(red: 1.000, green: 0.937, blue: 0.000)<color name="canary_yellow">#FFEF00</color>fill="#FFEF00"More Yellow Colors
Canary Yellow sits in the yellowfamily. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#FFEF00 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for Canary Yellow?
The hex code for Canary Yellow is #FFEF00. That is rgb(255, 239, 0) in RGB, hsl(56, 100%, 50%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(0%, 6%, 100%, 0%) in CMYK.
What is the RGB value of #FFEF00?
#FFEF00 is rgb(255, 239, 0) — red 255, green 239, and blue 0 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #FFEF00?
#FFEF00 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 6%, 100%, 0%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #FFEF00 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #FFEF00 scores 1.19:1 against white and 17.6:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #FFEF00 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #FFEF00 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 yellow (#FFFF00) at a CIE76 distance of 8.84, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open Canary Yellow in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.