Here are some ways to use yellow-orange in your designs:

• Establish visual hierarchy. Yellow-orange can help draw focus to important elements of an interface, like buttons and CTAs, without being visually overpowering. This can help guide user interaction and establish a clear visual hierarchy.
• Evoke energy. The vibrant hue of yellow-orange is often associated with energy, vitality, and adolescence, making it a great shade to use as an accent or background color for wellness or child-focused web and app interfaces.
• Create an engaging experience. When used for icons or buttons on a neutral background, yellow-orange can add visual interest and create an engaging and dynamic user experience.

Remember that color and its meaning can change from culture to culture—and at any given time. If you are designing for a global audience, research color considerations for your specific regions.

For variations within the same warm spectrum as yellow-orange, consider:

• Mustard yellow (#FFDB58) shares the same cheerful appeal.
• Gold (#EFBF04) is lighter but has the same warmth.
• Coral (#FF8559) is a tad darker and has a touch of red but shares a similar citrusy hue.
• Freesia (#F6C324) is a tropical color that shares the same vibrancy.

To complement yellow-orange, consider pairing it with:

• Burnt orange (#BE5103) creates the perfect amount of visual contrast in a monochromatic color palette.
• Light blue (#90D5FF) pairs well with yellow-orange for a summery color combination.
• Pastel pink (#FFD1DC) can create a gentle and feminine color scheme.
• Maroon (#550000) creates a harmonious autumn color palette when paired with yellow-orange.

Other colors that pair well with yellow-orange include cream for a soft contrast, plum to create a rich color palette, and soft brown earthy tones to add to yellow-orange’s warmth.

While yellow-orange is warm, it may clash with:

• Cool gray (#CBCBCB) may create an unbalanced color palette due to its lack of warmth.
• Green (#008000) can appear harsh next to yellow-orange since it’s highly saturated.
• Amber (#FFBF00) shares a similar hue, which can look dull and may not provide enough contrast.
• Dark blue (#111184) may create too much contrast.

Yellow-orange evokes many positive emotions, from happiness and optimism to creativity and excitement. Yellow and orange have historically symbolized the sun and still carry that same warmth today. Yellow-orange is also a seasonal symbol, a reminder of the falling autumn leaves or fall harvest.

Many Eastern cultures view yellow-orange as a sacred color. For example, in Hinduism, the yellow-orange-hued spice saffron holds religious value and symbolizes sacrifice and purity. In Buddhism, monks often wear yellow-orange robes that symbolize enlightenment and detachment from materialism.

Today, it’s used in design to create a warm and inviting palette while adding a touch of energy. While not as striking as yellow or bright as orange, it falls right in the middle and has an attention-grabbing quality that’s easy on the eyes.

The earliest instances of yellow trace back to prehistoric times in cave paintings using yellow ochre paint. Ancient Egyptians associated yellow with gold and immortality, making it a popular color used on tombs and ceremonial artifacts.

Orange was originally known as yellow-red before it got the name “orange” in English in the 1500s. The color name simply refers to the color of the fruit. Today, shades of yellow-orange tones are seen used in designs, from softer hues to vibrant tints.

Color variations

Shades

Tints

Tones

Hues

Color harmonies

Custom palettes

Contrast checker

Color simulations

Protanopia

Deuteranopia

Tritanopia

Achromatopsia

The hexadecimal color #FFB343, known as yellow-orange, has RGB values of R:255 G:179, B:67 and CMYK values of C:0, M:30, Y:74, K:0.