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Energetic Goldenrod

#e1bb3b
Notes

Energetic Goldenrod (#E1BB3B) is a true amber with a vibrant character. It holds its own as a focal accent, carrying visual weight without tipping into neon territory. Its HSL profile (46°, 73%, 56%) places it in the balanced band at a mid lightness. It works across type, buttons, and borders, saturated enough to feel deliberate but balanced enough to not fight the rest of the palette. For a confident two-color system, pair it with its complementary blue. For something softer, pull in its analogous neighbors on either side of the wheel.

HEX
#e1bb3b
RGB
rgb(225, 187, 59)
HSL
hsl(46, 73%, 56%)
HWB
hwb(46 23% 12%)
OKLCH
oklch(80.4% 0.146 91.7)
HSV
hsv(46, 74%, 88%)
LAB
lab(77.20% 0.86 66.06)
LCH
lch(77.20% 66.06 89.26)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 17%, 74%, 12%)

Etymology

Energetic
adjective

Greek energētikós, active — derived from energeia (activity). As a color modifier, energetic implies a saturated-and-kinetic-and-active quality where the hue carries visual vibration and movement-suggestion that engages the eye dynamically. Sits at the bright-and-active end of the grid, parallel to dynamic and spirited in usage.

Goldenrod
noun

Solidago, the late-summer wildflower of North American meadows whose tall sprays of small yellow flowers signal the end of the growing season. The color refers to the flower head at full bloom: a warm, slightly muted yellow-orange with the matte finish of small clustered florets. Cooler than mustard, deeper than dandelion. The state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska, a pollinator magnet, and the original native dye for early American homespun.

Closest matches

The nearest named color in three reference sources, ranked by perceptual distance (ΔE76 in CIELAB). ΔE < 1 is imperceptible to most viewers; ΔE > 10 is clearly different. When two sources point to the same hex they’re merged into one tile; click any to open that color’s page.

Variations

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Harmonies

Accessibility

Color-vision simulation

How this color appears to viewers with the four major color-vision-deficiency types. Computed via the Machado (2009) physiologically-based model. If a tile matches the original, the color reads the same to that viewer.

#e1bb3b
Original
#d0b826
Protanopia
#d9c342
Deuteranopia
#f3aca2
Tritanopia
#bababa
Achromatopsia
WCAG contrast

The color used as foreground text against pure white and pure black, with the contrast ratio and WCAG 2.1 grade. Aim for AA (4.5:1) for body text and AA Large (3:1) for 18 pt+ headlines; AAA (7:1) is the gold standard for long-form reading surfaces.

The quick brown foxSample body text at normal size. The wcag minimum for body contrast is 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA).
Failon White
1.85:1
The quick brown foxSample body text at normal size. The wcag minimum for body contrast is 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA).
AAAon Black
11.37:1

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