Gold color: code #FFD700

Gold

#FFD700

Color codes

  • HEX#FFD700
  • RGBrgb(255, 215, 0)
  • HSLhsl(51, 100%, 50%)
  • HSVhsv(51, 100%, 100%)
  • CMYKcmyk(0%, 16%, 100%, 0%)
  • LABlab(86.9% -1.9 87.1)
  • OKLCHoklch(88.7% 0.182 95.3)

About the color Gold

Gold has the HEX code #FFD700, which corresponds to rgb(255, 215, 0) in the RGB model. On the color wheel its hue sits at 51°, with 100% saturation and 50% lightness (hsl(51, 100%, 50%)).

Because of its hue it reads as a warm color: it tends to feel energetic and close, and it visually “advances” in a composition.

As a background it calls for dark text: black reaches a 14.97:1 contrast ratio on it, versus 1.40:1 for white.

For print, the approximate conversion is cmyk(0%, 16%, 100%, 0%). Always confirm with your printer’s color profile, because the result depends on paper and ink.

Lighter tints

Darker shades

Color combinations with Gold

Complementary

#FFD700 · #0026FF

Analogous

#FF5900 · #FFD700 · #A6FF00

Triadic

#FFD700 · #00FFD9 · #D900FF

Tetradic

#FFD700 · #00FF59 · #0026FF · #FF00A6

Split-complementary

#FFD700 · #00A6FF · #5900FF

Monochromatic

#806C00 · #CCAD00 · #FFD700 · #FFE44D · #FFF099

Gold with white and black text

White text Aa Bb Cc 123
1.40:1 · fails WCAG
Black text Aa Bb Cc 123
14.97:1 · AAA

Test other pairs in the contrast checker

#FFD700 is CSS gold, rgb(255, 215, 0): an intense yellow nudged slightly toward orange. On screen it is flat and bright, but it has none of the sheen of metal. That is the core challenge of working with gold: the color “gold” and the gold effect are two different things.

Symbolism

Gold is linked to wealth, prestige, victory and celebration in many cultures, from Olympic medals to gold leaf in religious art. In India and China it features heavily at weddings and festivals; in the West it evokes awards, 50th anniversaries and luxury packaging. Overdone, though, it can come across as flashy or kitschy. As always, meaning depends on context and dosage.

Gold on screen vs. gold in print

On screen, metal is an illusion created by shifts in light. To suggest gold, combine #FFD700 with darker, browner shades such as darkgoldenrod (#B8860B) in a gradient with highlight stops. A single flat shade almost always reads as egg-yolk yellow.

In print, standard CMYK cannot reproduce metallic sheen: converted #FFD700 becomes a plain orange-yellow. For the real effect, printers use special inks such as Pantone metallics (Pantone 871 C, for instance) or finishes like hot foil stamping. If gold is central to a brand, define three versions from the start: a flat CMYK version, a metallic Pantone version and a screen version.

Pairings

Be careful with gold text

Gold on white is a common mistake on jewelry and event sites: #FFD700 against white is only 1.4:1. On black, by contrast, it reaches about 15:1, which explains why black and gold work so well together. If you need readable gold on a light background, darken it to an ochre such as #8A6A00 (about 5:1). Check it in the contrast checker and compare with the silver page, which faces similar challenges.

How to use it in CSS

:root {
  --color-gold: #FFD700;
  --color-gold-rgb: 255, 215, 0;
}

.elemento {
  background-color: var(--color-gold);
  color: #000000;
}

Similar colors

Use Gold in our tools