Cadmium Yellow

HEX: #FFF600 | Modern Palette

On White
1.14:1
FAIL
On Black
18.43:1
PASS

Color Specifications

HEX
#FFF600
RGB
255, 246, 0
HSL
57°, 100% ,50%
CMYK
0, 4, 100, 0

About Cadmium Yellow

Cadmium Yellow (#FFF600) is a color with RGB(255, 246, 0) and HSL(57.9°, 100%, 50%). It is commonly associated with Energetic, Bold moods. In design, it fits Vivid, Warm styles and is suitable for Text, Button, Accent. Its complementary color is #0009FF, which creates strong contrast. Its triadic palette includes #00FFF6 and #F600FF. The name comes from Cadmium Yellow (English).

  • HEX: #FFF600
  • RGB: 255, 246, 0
  • HSL: 57.9°, 100%, 50%
  • Mood: Energetic, Bold
  • Style: Vivid, Warm
  • Use case: Text, Button, Accent
  • Complementary color: #0009FF
  • Triadic colors: #00FFF6, #F600FF
  • The name comes from Cadmium Yellow (English).

Live Components

LIGHT
DARK
System Notification Box

Color Palettes

Cadmium Yellow #FFF600 is used in Monochromatic, Neutral + Accent, Analogous, 3 + 1 + 1 palettes, giving designers ready-made combinations for backgrounds, surfaces, accents, and interface elements.

Monochromatic Five tones of the same hue — a reliable scale for backgrounds, surfaces, and text.
 
 
CADMIUM YELLOW
 
 
Neutral + Accent Four near-neutral tones grounded by a saturated accent — clean and versatile for UI.
 
 
CADMIUM YELLOW
 
 
Analogous Five hues drifting across a 60° arc — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
 
 
CADMIUM YELLOW
 
 
3 + 1 + 1 Three analogous base colors, one complementary accent, one dark anchor — bold yet balanced.
 
 
 
 
 

Color Harmonies

Cadmium Yellow #FFF600 pairs with #0009FF as its complementary color, and #00FFF6 and #F600FF in triadic combinations. These harmony relationships help create balanced color combinations for UI, branding, and design work.

Complementary

The color directly opposite on the color wheel — creates maximum contrast and vibrance.

CADMIUM YELLOW
Analogous

Colors adjacent on the wheel — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

CADMIUM YELLOW
Triadic

Three colors equally spaced 120° apart — bold, balanced, and visually rich.

CADMIUM YELLOW
Split-Complementary

Two colors flanking the complement — high contrast with less tension than full complementary.

CADMIUM YELLOW
Tetradic (Square)

Four colors at 90° intervals — rich variety, best when one color dominates.

CADMIUM YELLOW
Monochromatic

Shades and tints of the same hue — cohesive, elegant, and easy to work with.

CADMIUM YELLOW

Shades & Tints

The shade and tint range for Cadmium Yellow #FFF600 moves from dark #1A1900 tones through the base color to lighter #FFFEE6 tones, making it useful for depth, hierarchy, and background variation.

CADMIUM YELLOW

Color Characteristics

Mood
Energetic Bold
Style
Vivid Warm
Use case
Text Button Accent

Accessibility Simulation

Deuteranopia #F9F900
Protanopia #F7F701
Tritanopia #FFE8E8
Achromatopsia #F0F0F0

Frequently Asked Questions

Cadmium Yellow (#FFF600) is a color with RGB(255, 246, 0) and HSL(57.9°, 100%, 50%).

#FFF600 pairs strongly with #0009FF as its complementary color. It can also be used with neutral tones for balanced UI and design layouts.

#FFF600 is suitable for Text, Button, Accent and works well with Vivid, Warm styles.

#FFF600 is commonly associated with Energetic, Bold.

The name Cadmium Yellow is linked to Cadmium Yellow from English, meaning A yellow pigment derived from cadmium sulfide..

Name, History & Etymology

Origin Word Cadmium Yellow
Meaning A yellow pigment derived from cadmium sulfide.
Language English
First Recorded Use Early 19th Century

History

Cadmium was discovered in 1817 by German chemist Friedrich Stromeyer. Its potential as a pigment, specifically cadmium sulfide, was recognized shortly after. Early cadmium yellow pigments were expensive and not widely available until the mid-19th century. It quickly gained popularity among artists due to its vibrant, opaque yellow hue, excellent lightfastness, and resistance to fading, making it superior to many earlier yellow pigments like Indian Yellow or Naples Yellow. Its use became widespread in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting. Concerns about its toxicity (due to cadmium content) have led to the development of safer alternatives, though it remains a staple in many artists' palettes.

First Recorded Use

1817 (discovery of cadmium), 1820s-1840s (pigment development and use)

Cultural Associations

Cadmium Yellow is renowned for its brilliant, sunny, and often intense yellow. It is strongly associated with the vibrant palettes of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters like Vincent van Gogh, who famously used it in his 'Sunflowers' series. Its luminosity allows artists to capture the warmth of sunlight, the richness of harvest fields, or the bright glow of artificial light. It evokes feelings of joy, energy, and optimism, but can also be used to depict caution or danger due to its association with the element cadmium.

Similar Named Colors
Lemon #FFF700 ΔE 0.27
Yellow Rose #FFF000 ΔE 1.66
Canary Yellow #FFEF00 ΔE 1.94
Aureolin #FDEE00 ΔE 1.96

Code Snippets

/* Background */
.element {
    background-color: #FFF600;
}

/* Text */
.element {
    color: #FFF600;
}

/* Border */
.element {
    border: 1px solid #FFF600;
}

/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
    background: linear-gradient(
        to right,
        #FFF600,
        #0009FF
    );
}

/* Radial gradient */
.element {
    background: radial-gradient(
        circle,
        #FFF600,
        #0009FF
    );
}

// SCSS variable
$cadmium-yellow: #FFF600;

// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$cadmium-yellow-r: 255;
$cadmium-yellow-g: 246;
$cadmium-yellow-b: 0;

// Usage
.element {
    background-color: $cadmium-yellow;
    color: rgba($cadmium-yellow-r, $cadmium-yellow-g, $cadmium-yellow-b, 0.8);
}