Butter Yellow Color Palette
#F8F0C8 · #F0E090 · #FDFAF0 · #5A5238
Use #F8F0C8 as the background. Use #F0E090 as the primary accent. Use #FDFAF0 as secondary. Use #5A5238 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Butter Yellow — pastel, warm, candy.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Butter Yellow color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).
| Swatch | Design Role | HEX | RGB | CMYK | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background Luminance: 86.4% | 248, 240, 200 | 0%, 3%, 19%, 3% | 50°, 77%, 88% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 73.9% | 240, 224, 144 | 0%, 7%, 40%, 6% | 50°, 76%, 75% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 95.5% | 253, 250, 240 | 0%, 1%, 5%, 1% | 46°, 76%, 97% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 8.5% | 90, 82, 56 | 0%, 9%, 38%, 65% | 46°, 23%, 29% |
Butter Yellow Tints & Shades
Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Butter Yellow palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Butter Yellow Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)
Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.
| Text on Background | Preview | Ratio | Grade | Safe For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #5A5238 on #FDFAF0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.45:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FDFAF0 on #5A5238 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.45:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #5A5238 on #F8F0C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.78:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #F8F0C8 on #5A5238 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.78:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5A5238 on #F0E090 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.84:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #F0E090 on #5A5238 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.84:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #FDFAF0 on #F0E090 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.28:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F0E090 on #FDFAF0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.28:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F0E090 on #F8F0C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.16:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F8F0C8 on #F0E090 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.16:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #FDFAF0 on #F8F0C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.10:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F8F0C8 on #FDFAF0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.10:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Butter Yellow palette is built using a analogous relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Butter Yellow
Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.
directly opposite #F0E090 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #F0E090 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Butter Yellow Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #F0E090 for small UI elements on #F8F0C8 — at 1.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #5A5238 — 6.8:1 against #F8F0C8 passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
- Don't use #FDFAF0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.
How to Implement the Butter Yellow Color Scheme
To use this Butter Yellow color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.
Option 1: CSS Variables
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'} Web Design Tip
Use #F8F0C8 for the main background and #F0E090 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #5A5238 and #F8F0C8 is 6.78:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Butter Yellow Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Butter Yellow color palette?
The Butter Yellow palette contains #F8F0C8, #F0E090, #FDFAF0, #5A5238. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.
Is the Butter Yellow color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #5A5238 on #FDFAF0 reaches 7.5:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.
What colors go well with the Butter Yellow palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #788CED, #CDE995, #181710 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.
What mood does the Butter Yellow palette create?
Butter Yellow reads as pastel, warm, candy. Saturated yellow drives the personality, grounded by saturated yellow — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Butter Yellow color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Butter Yellow palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
How do I add the Butter Yellow palette to Tailwind or CSS?
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Butter Yellow's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.