Canary (#FFFF99)

The hex code for Canary is #FFFF99. It is rgb(255, 255, 153) in RGB, hsl(60, 100%, 80%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 0%, 40%, 0%) in CMYK — a lightest yellow. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.

#FFFF99

HEX#FFFF99

RGBrgb(255, 255, 153)

HSLhsl(60, 100%, 80%)

HSVhsv(60, 40%, 100%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 0%, 40%, 0%)

OKLCHoklch(97.8% 0.124 108.5)

LABlab(98.38% -10.47 48.60)

LCHlch(98.38% 49.72 102.16)

Colors Closest to Canary

Canary is a registered color name. 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.

Pastel Yellow#FDFD96ΔE 0.87 Lemon Yellow (Crayola)#FFFF9FΔE 2.81 Key Lime#E8F48CΔE 6.7 Khaki#F0E68CΔE 9.83 Green-yellow (Crayola)#F0E891ΔE 9.91 Mindaro#E3F988ΔE 10.32

Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every yellow in the library.

#FFFF99 Channel Values

How Canary 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 255 · B 153	8-bit channels as sent to the display
HSL	H 60° · S 100% · L 80%	Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants
HSV	H 60° · S 40% · V 100%	Matches the picker in most design tools
CMYK	C 0% · M 0% · Y 40% · K 0%	Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing
Luminance	1.05:1 vs white · 20.02:1 vs black	WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios

Text Contrast & Accessibility

WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Canary 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.

Fails AAWhite text1.05:1AA normal AA large AAA normal

TextBlack text20.02:1AA normal AA large AAA normal

Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #FFFF99 in the contrast checker.

Colors That Go With Canary

Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Canary; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.

Base

Complementary

Analogous

Analogous

Triadic

Triadic

Split comp.

Split comp.

Tints & Shades of Canary

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.

Tints

Shades

Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #FFFF99.

How Canary 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.

Typical#FFFF99

Protanopia#FFFF99

Protanomaly#FFFF99

Deuteranopia#FFFF99

Deuteranomaly#FFFF99

Tritanopia#FFF5F5

Tritanomaly#FFF9D6

Achromatopsia#F9F9F9

Test a full palette in the color blindness simulator.

Using #FFFF99 in Code

Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.

CSS custom property--canary: #FFFF99;

CSS backgroundbackground-color: #FFFF99;

Tailwind configcolors: { 'canary': '#FFFF99' }

SwiftUIColor(red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 0.600)

Android XML<color name="canary">#FFFF99</color>

SVG fillfill="#FFFF99"

More Yellow Colors

Canary sits in the yellow family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.

ffff9e ffff8a ffff9f ffff85 ffffad ffff6b ffffbd ffff66 ffffbf ffff61 ffffc2 ffff5c 3c341f 666633 996600 bdb76b d3d364 e5e600 f0b100 f5f1cc faf9f6 fecb00 ffde5c fffacd

#FFFF99 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hex code for Canary?

The hex code for Canary is #FFFF99. That is rgb(255, 255, 153) in RGB, hsl(60, 100%, 80%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(0%, 0%, 40%, 0%) in CMYK.

What is the RGB value of #FFFF99?

#FFFF99 is rgb(255, 255, 153) — red 255, green 255, and blue 153 on the 0-255 scale.

What is the CMYK value of #FFFF99?

#FFFF99 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 0%, 40%, 0%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.

Should text on #FFFF99 be black or white?

Black text is the more readable choice. #FFFF99 scores 1.05:1 against white and 20.02:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.

Can I write #FFFF99 as a CSS color keyword?

No. #FFFF99 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 9.83, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.

Open Canary in a Tool

Hex to RGB Hex to HSL Hex to CMYK Hex to OKLCH Hex to Pantone Build a palette Make a gradient

Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.