Orange

#FF7538

Crayola color

Overview

Orange, as Crayola defines it, is a warm red-orange at rgb(255, 117, 56), hex #FF7538. The full red channel with mid green and low blue places it at 18 degrees on the hue wheel — closer to red than the CSS orange keyword — at high saturation and brightness. It is one of the Crayola crayon range's core colors. Compared with the web palette's #FFA500, the Crayola version leans redder and warmer, a bright pigment orange balanced for vivid coloring. Its redward lean sets it apart from the yellower CSS orange, and because it sits opposite the blues on the color wheel, it reads with high energy against cool backgrounds.

Orange Crayola (#FF7538) is Crayola's signature orange crayon — deeper, more red-shifted, and richer than CSS orange. The Crayola orange has been a staple of children's art for over a century and carries enormous nostalgia in North American culture. Its warm, saturated character is associated with Halloween, autumn leaves, and classic cartoon aesthetics.

On this page

Color Values

HEX

#FF7538

RGB

255, 117, 56

HSL

18.4, 100.0%, 61.0%

HSV

18.4, 78.0%, 100.0%

CMYK

0.0%, 54.1%, 78.0%, 0.0%

OKLCH

0.7183 0.1836 42.3

Properties

Warm Light Nearest: Orange

Color Psychology

True orange embodies enthusiasm, creativity, and adventure. It stimulates mental activity and social interaction, making it a favorite in creative industries. Orange is highly visible and conveys confidence without the aggression of red, bridging warmth and energy.

Design Usage

Medium orange excels in CTAs, pricing highlights, and gamification elements where excitement is desired. Tech companies and SaaS products use it to differentiate from the dominant blue of their competitors. It requires careful contrast checking since mid-range orange can fail WCAG on light backgrounds.

Color Harmonies

Complementary

#FF7538

#38C2FF

Analogous

#FF385F

#FFD938

#FF7538

Triadic

#FF7538

#38FF75

#7538FF

Split Complementary

#FF7538

#38FFD9

#385FFF

Tetradic

#FF7538

#5FFF38

#38C2FF

#D938FF

Color Blindness Simulation

Original

#FF7538

Protanopia

#C3C247

Deuteranopia

#CBD64A

Tritanopia

#F85255

Achromatopsia

#8E8E8E

CSS Usage

background-color: #FF7538;
color: #FF7538;
border-color: #FF7538;
Nearest Tailwind: Orange 500 #F97316

Tailwind Shades

50
#FEF5F1
100
#FCE7DE
200
#FFCDB8
300
#FFAA85
400
#FF7C42
500
#FF4E00
600
#CC3F00
700
#A33200
800
#802700
900
#5C2005
950
#3A1403

Contrast Checker

Text on white

2.67:1

AA Fail AAA Fail

Text on black

7.85:1

AA Pass AAA Pass

Compare With

#FF7538
#38C2FF
#FF7538
#FFFFFF
#000000
#FF7538

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the RGB, HSL, and CMYK values of #FF7538?

RGB(255, 117, 56) · HSL(18.4, 100.0%, 61.0%) · CMYK(0.0%, 54.1%, 78.0%, 0.0%)

Does #FF7538 meet WCAG contrast on white?

2.67:1 — WCAG AA Fail, AAA Fail for normal text.

What text color is readable on #FF7538?

Use 000000 text on a #FF7538 background; contrast on black is 7.85:1.