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Dynamic Amber

#ecaa00
Notes

Dynamic Amber (#ECAA00) is a true amber with a neon character. It sits at the high-saturation edge of its family. Use it sparingly, as signage, accent, or highlight against darker surfaces. Its HSL profile (43°, 100%, 46%) places it in the highly saturated band at a mid lightness. Best used in small doses, like logos, CTAs, focus rings, or highlight text, where its saturation becomes a feature rather than noise. For a confident two-color system, pair it with its complementary azure. For something softer, pull in its analogous neighbors on either side of the wheel.

HEX
#ecaa00
RGB
rgb(236, 170, 0)
HSL
hsl(43, 100%, 46%)
HWB
hwb(43 0% 7%)
OKLCH
oklch(78.0% 0.161 80.5)
HSV
hsv(43, 100%, 93%)
LAB
lab(73.92% 13.23 77.23)
LCH
lch(73.92% 78.35 80.28)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 28%, 100%, 7%)

Etymology

Dynamic
adjective

From the Greek dynamis, power — used as a color modifier since the late nineteenth century for hues that read as energetic and active. Dynamic red, dynamic orange: the implication is saturation combined with optical motion. Sits at the bright-bucket center alongside vibrant and lively.

Amber
noun

Fossilized tree resin — pine and conifer sap that flowed sixty million years ago and slowly polymerized in Baltic and Dominican forests. The color refers to a polished cabochon of true Baltic amber: a warm, slightly translucent gold-orange with the depth of resin and the occasional inclusion of trapped insects. Softer than honey, deeper than topaz, with the mineral light of a fossil that still feels organic.

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

Click any swatch to explore

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.

#ecaa00
Original
#c4ac00
Protanopia
#d3bc15
Deuteranopia
#ff9791
Tritanopia
#acacac
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
2.04:1
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
10.32:1

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