← Shades of yellow

≈ Martian

#AAA905 is closest to Martian in our library. Martian (#AAA905) is a light, vivid yellow with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 60° and a lightness of 71%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.

#AAA905≈ Martian
Conversion

What Martian looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Martian (#AAA905) is a light, vivid yellow with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 60° and a lightness of 71%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.

Psychology

Yellow is the brightest hue and the quickest to attract the eye. It feels cheerful and hopeful, but bright yellows tire the eye in large areas and need dark partners for text. As a light shade, Martian feels airy and gentle.

Meaning

Yellow means sunshine and joy, and also caution: it is the color of warning signs and taxis because it is seen from far away. Muted golds suggest warmth and value.

Why use this color

Martian is a confident accent. Dark text is easy to read on it, so it works as a surface, highlight or card background. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.

Applications
  • Highlights, badges and notices
  • Travel and education
  • Warning and caution signs
  • Accents on dark backgrounds
History

Early yellows were ochre and orpiment, an arsenic sulfide. Chrome yellow, introduced in the early 1800s, became famous in Van Gogh's sunflowers.

Accessibility

White text on Martian has a contrast ratio of 2.50:1 (fails); black text has 8.38:1 (AAA). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning: pair it with text, an icon or a pattern.

ShadesMixed with black: darker and richer.
TintsMixed with white: lighter and softer.
TonesMixed with gray: quieter and less saturated.
HuesThe same lightness and strength, turned around the wheel.
TemperaturesPushed cooler on the left, warmer on the right.
50#F7F8EA100#ECEED1200#DDDFAA300#C6C772400#AAA905500#8C8C1E600#74731B700#5C5C0B800#464503900#333300950#1D1C00
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.

#AAA905
Typical visionAs most people see it
#B8A100
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#BAA61F
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#B79D8F
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#A4A4A4
AchromatopsiaNo color, only light and dark

These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.

White textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
2.50:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
8.38:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#AAA905 Color — closest to Martian (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly