← Shades of yellow

≈ Sour

#E2F9C4 is closest to Sour in our library. Sour (#E2F9C4) is a very light, muted yellow with a balanced feel. It has a hue angle of 86° and a lightness of 95%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.

#E2F9C4≈ Sour
Conversion

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

Description

Sour (#E2F9C4) is a very light, muted yellow with a balanced feel. It has a hue angle of 86° and a lightness of 95%. 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 light shade, Sour 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

Sour is an easy supporting color. 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 Sour has a contrast ratio of 1.13:1 (fails); black text has 18.58:1 (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#F5F8F2100#E2F9C4200#D5DFC8300#B8C8A4400#96AA7D500#7A8F5E600#647649700#4F5F38800#3B4828900#2A341B950#161D0C
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#E2F9C4
Typical visionAs most people see it
#FFF2C1
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#FBF1C6
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#E5F4EA
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#F1F1F1
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.
1.13:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
18.58:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#E2F9C4 Color — closest to Sour (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly