Lemon Yellow
A luminous and high-energy citrus yellow
Lemon Yellow is a highly saturated, luminous shade that commands attention. Because of its extreme brightness, #fafa33 works best as a small accent rather than a full background color, where it can easily overwhelm the eye. It pairs beautifully with deep charcoal grays to ground its energy. This hex code provides excellent contrast for black text, ensuring readability in UI elements and print design.
About Lemon Yellow
Butter melting over hot toast
What does lemon yellow mean?
Lemon yellow often calls to mind sunshine, fresh citrus, caution signs, and the first warm days of spring. Its near-white lightness gives it a bright, open energy, while the soft green undertone keeps it mellow instead of sharp.
Where you see lemon yellow
- lemon peel
- tennis balls
- sticky notes
- school buses
- butter pats
- raincoats
What it works for
Use it for highlights, callout buttons, packaging, and accents that need attention without the weight of a darker shade.
What colors go with lemon yellow?
Charcoal #36454fThe deep gray swallows some of the yellow's glare and makes it read warmer.Cerulean #55aaeeThe cool blue sits opposite on the wheel, so the yellow looks even brighter.Sage #9caf88The muted green shares the yellow's undertone and softens its glow.Plum #8e4585Dark purple gives the yellow a rich stage and keeps the pairing from feeling sweet.Terracotta #e2725bThe earthy red pulls the yellow toward warmth and grounds its brightness.
Questions about Lemon Yellow
What is the hex code for Lemon Yellow?
Lemon Yellow is #fafa33. In RGB that is rgb(250, 250, 51), in HSL hsl(60, 95%, 59%) and in CMYK 0%, 0%, 80%, 2%.
How should I use Lemon Yellow #fafa33 in a design?
Lemon Yellow #fafa33 is extremely bright and acts best as an accent color to draw the eye, rather than a background. Use it sparingly against charcoal or deep navy to ground its high-energy, luminous intensity.
Is Lemon Yellow readable on white or black?
Lemon Yellow has a 1.11:1 contrast ratio on white and 18.78:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it is too faint for text and on black it works for body text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.