Amber #FFBF00

Amber is a warm golden yellow-orange, commonly given as hex #FFBF00. It is bright and fully saturated, sitting between yellow and orange on the color wheel. The name comes from fossilized tree resin used in jewelry, and the color is just as familiar from traffic signals, warning lights, honey and late-afternoon sun.

Amber has no CSS keyword. #FFBF00 is a common value; real amber gemstones range from pale yellow to deep brownish orange.

#FFBF00

Amber color codes
HEX	`#FFBF00`
RGB	`rgb(255, 191, 0)`
HSL	`hsl(45, 100%, 50%)`
HSV	`hsv(45, 100%, 100%)`
CMYK	`cmyk(0%, 25%, 100%, 0%)`

Make a palette with Amber What goes with it

Text on Amber

Black text reads better on Amber. Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula: 4.5:1 passes AA for body text, 3:1 passes for large text.

White text

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

1.65:1 · Fail

Black text

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

12.70:1 · AAA

Colors that go with Amber

#36454FCharcoalDark neutral and a readable text color for amber #000080Navy BlueComplementary contrast, deep and grounding #7B3F00Chocolate BrownWarm, honeyed pairing for food and drink branding #FFFDD0CreamSoft tonal base for packaging and interiors #008080TealCool counterpoint that keeps amber modern

Amber tints and shades

Tints mix Amber with white, shades mix it with black, in 15% steps. Copy any code, or open the tint and shade generator for a full scale.

Tints

#FFC926

#FFD24D

#FFDC73

#FFE599

#FFEFBF

Shades

#D9A200

#B38600

#8C6900

#664C00

#403000

Amber color schemes

Color-wheel harmonies built by rotating the hue of #FFBF00 and keeping its saturation and lightness.

Complementary

#FFBF00

#0040FF

Analogous

#FF4000

#FFBF00

#C0FF00

Triadic

#FFBF00

#00FFBF

#BF00FF

Split complementary

#FFBF00

#00BFFF

#4000FF

Tetradic

#FFBF00

#00FF40

#0040FF

#FF00BF

Amber color meaning

Amber has two quite different sides. As a gemstone it is fossilized tree resin, prized in jewelry around the Baltic Sea for centuries, and it suggests warmth, age and natural beauty, sometimes with an insect preserved inside.

As a signal color, amber means caution. In the UK and many other countries the middle traffic light is called amber, and amber warning lights appear on vehicles, machinery and dashboards. In the US, the AMBER Alert system for missing children uses the name, though there it is both an acronym and the first name of a child, Amber Hagerman.

Together these give amber a mix of warmth and alertness: cozy in a lamp or a glass of whiskey, urgent on a dashboard.

How to use Amber in design

In UI, amber is the usual color for warnings and pending states, sitting between green for success and red for errors. Use dark text on it; white text is unreadable. That warning role means amber buttons can make people hesitate, so think twice before using it as a main call-to-action color.

In branding, it suits honey, beer, coffee, lighting and heritage brands. In interiors, amber glass lamps and pendants give rooms a warm glow, and amber looks rich next to dark wood, navy and charcoal.

Palettes with Amber tones

Curated palettes with a color close to #FFBF00.

Honey Bee Paprika Golden Gate Tropical Fish Noir Tropical Punch

Colors similar to Amber

#FFD700Gold #FFA500Orange #E1AD01Mustard Yellow #DAA520Goldenrod #FFEF00Canary Yellow #D2B48CTan

Work with Amber

Palette generatorBuild a palette around #FFBF00 Contrast checkerTest text on this color Tint and shade generatorA full scale for CSS or Tailwind Color wheelEvery harmony for this hue Color pickerAdjust it and convert formats Color mixerBlend it with another color

Amber FAQ

What is the difference between amber and gold?

Amber #FFBF00 leans a little more toward orange, while gold #FFD700 is slightly more yellow. Both are warm and bright. Amber suggests resin, honey and warning lights, and gold suggests metal, trophies and luxury. In UI, amber usually signals caution, while gold tends to signal rewards or premium status.

Is amber yellow or orange?

Amber sits between yellow and orange. Its common value #FFBF00 has full red, somewhat less green and no blue, which puts it in the golden yellow-orange range. Many people call it a dark yellow and others a yellowish orange, and both descriptions are fair.