yellow

#FFFF00

CSS color

Overview

Yellow is an additive secondary, formed when the red and green channels are lit together at full strength: rgb(255, 255, 0), hex #FFFF00. It occupies 60 degrees on the hue wheel at complete saturation and maximum brightness, making it the most luminous of the pure hues. One of the sixteen basic HTML colors, yellow is the complement of blue in the RGB model — the two combine to form white. Its high value and warm cast give it strong visibility, which is why it reads as attention-grabbing even at small sizes. In subtractive systems yellow behaves instead as a primary, one of the three inks that build fuller color ranges in print.

Yellow (#FFFF00) is pure, maximum-intensity yellow in the CSS standard — the complete combination of maximum red and green with zero blue in the RGB model, one of the three additive primary light colours. As the brightest colour perceived by human eyes at any given luminosity, yellow naturally demands attention and is universally associated with sunshine, warmth, caution, and intellectual energy. In design, pure #FFFF00 is often too intense for large areas but provides unmatched visibility for highlights and alerts.

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Color Values

HEX

#FFFF00

RGB

255, 255, 0

HSL

60.0, 100.0%, 50.0%

HSV

60.0, 100.0%, 100.0%

CMYK

0.0%, 0.0%, 100.0%, 0.0%

OKLCH

0.968 0.211 109.8

Properties

Color Psychology

Pure yellow is the most luminous color in the spectrum, instantly associated with sunshine, optimism, and alertness. It stimulates the nervous system and enhances concentration, which is why it appears on school buses and warning signs. Yellow demands attention faster than any other color.

Design Usage

Medium yellow is powerful for attention badges, star ratings, and highlight accents in otherwise neutral interfaces. It is one of the hardest colors to use as a primary brand color because of contrast limitations against white. Dark text on yellow achieves strong readability, making it effective for caution banners.

Color Harmonies

Color Blindness Simulation

CSS Usage

background-color: #FFFF00;
color: #FFFF00;
border-color: #FFFF00;
Nearest Tailwind: Yellow 300 #FDE047

Tailwind Shades

Contrast Checker

Text on white

1.07:1

AA Fail AAA Fail

Text on black

19.56:1

AA Pass AAA Pass

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the RGB, HSL, and CMYK values of #FFFF00?

RGB(255, 255, 0) · HSL(60.0, 100.0%, 50.0%) · CMYK(0.0%, 0.0%, 100.0%, 0.0%)

Does #FFFF00 meet WCAG contrast on white?

1.07:1 — WCAG AA Fail, AAA Fail for normal text.

What text color is readable on #FFFF00?

Use 000000 text on a #FFFF00 background; contrast on black is 19.56:1.