← Shades of yellow

Boa

Boa (#7F7755) is a medium, muted yellow with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 49° and a lightness of 57%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.

#7F7755Boa
Conversion

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

Description

Boa (#7F7755) is a medium, muted yellow with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 49° and a lightness of 57%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.

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 mid-toned shade, Boa sits comfortably in the middle: present but not heavy.

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

Boa is an easy supporting color. It is best as an accent, illustration or large heading color, with a lighter or darker partner for body text. 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 Boa has a contrast ratio of 4.49:1 (fails for body text); black text has 4.67:1 (AA). 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#F8F7F2100#EDEBE2200#DFDBCB300#C7C1A8400#A9A282500#8F8764600#7F7755700#5F583D800#48432C900#35301F950#1E1B0E
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#7F7755
Typical visionAs most people see it
#7E7553
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#807856
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#85726E
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#777777
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.
4.49:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textAAFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
4.67:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAFail
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker