Orange

HEX: #FFA500 | Modern Palette

On White
1.97:1
FAIL
On Black
10.63:1
PASS

Color Specifications

HEX
#FFA500
RGB
255, 165, 0
HSL
38°, 100% ,50%
CMYK
0, 35, 100, 0

About Orange

Orange (#FFA500) is a color with RGB(255, 165, 0) and HSL(38.8°, 100%, 50%). It is commonly associated with Energetic, Bold moods. In design, it fits Vivid, Warm styles and is suitable for Text, Button, Accent. Its complementary color is #005AFF, which creates strong contrast. Its triadic palette includes #00FFA5 and #A500FF. The name comes from nāraṅga (Sanskrit).

  • HEX: #FFA500
  • RGB: 255, 165, 0
  • HSL: 38.8°, 100%, 50%
  • Mood: Energetic, Bold
  • Style: Vivid, Warm
  • Use case: Text, Button, Accent
  • Complementary color: #005AFF
  • Triadic colors: #00FFA5, #A500FF
  • The name comes from nāraṅga (Sanskrit).

Live Components

LIGHT
DARK
System Notification Box

Color Palettes

Orange #FFA500 is used in Monochromatic, Neutral + Accent, Analogous, 3 + 1 + 1 palettes, giving designers ready-made combinations for backgrounds, surfaces, accents, and interface elements.

Monochromatic Five tones of the same hue — a reliable scale for backgrounds, surfaces, and text.
 
 
ORANGE
 
 
Neutral + Accent Four near-neutral tones grounded by a saturated accent — clean and versatile for UI.
 
 
ORANGE
 
 
Analogous Five hues drifting across a 60° arc — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
 
 
ORANGE
 
 
3 + 1 + 1 Three analogous base colors, one complementary accent, one dark anchor — bold yet balanced.
 
 
 
 
 

Color Harmonies

Orange #FFA500 pairs with #005AFF as its complementary color, and #00FFA5 and #A500FF in triadic combinations. These harmony relationships help create balanced color combinations for UI, branding, and design work.

Complementary

The color directly opposite on the color wheel — creates maximum contrast and vibrance.

ORANGE
Analogous

Colors adjacent on the wheel — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

ORANGE
Triadic

Three colors equally spaced 120° apart — bold, balanced, and visually rich.

ORANGE
Split-Complementary

Two colors flanking the complement — high contrast with less tension than full complementary.

ORANGE
Tetradic (Square)

Four colors at 90° intervals — rich variety, best when one color dominates.

ORANGE
Monochromatic

Shades and tints of the same hue — cohesive, elegant, and easy to work with.

ORANGE

Shades & Tints

The shade and tint range for Orange #FFA500 moves from dark #1A1000 tones through the base color to lighter #FFF6E6 tones, making it useful for depth, hierarchy, and background variation.

ORANGE

Color Characteristics

Mood
Energetic Bold
Style
Vivid Warm
Use case
Text Button Accent

Accessibility Simulation

Deuteranopia #C5C500
Protanopia #B2B209
Tritanopia #FF9B9B
Achromatopsia #B8B8B8

Frequently Asked Questions

Orange (#FFA500) is a color with RGB(255, 165, 0) and HSL(38.8°, 100%, 50%).

#FFA500 pairs strongly with #005AFF as its complementary color. It can also be used with neutral tones for balanced UI and design layouts.

#FFA500 is suitable for Text, Button, Accent and works well with Vivid, Warm styles.

#FFA500 is commonly associated with Energetic, Bold.

The name Orange is linked to nāraṅga from Sanskrit, meaning orange tree.

Name, History & Etymology

Origin Word nāraṅga
Meaning orange tree
Language Sanskrit
First Recorded Use Late Middle English

History

The word 'orange' has a fascinating journey through languages. It originated from the Sanskrit word 'nāraṅga' (नारङ्ग), meaning 'orange tree'. This word traveled to Persian as 'nārang' (نارنگ), then to Arabic as 'nāranj' (نارنج). From Arabic, it entered Medieval Latin as 'aurantia' and Old French as 'pome d'orenge' or simply 'orenge'. English adopted 'orange' from Old French. Interestingly, the initial 'n' was dropped in some European languages (like French and English) due to a process called rebracketing, where 'a nāranj' was misheard as 'an āranj'. The fruit itself is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, specifically in a region encompassing Southern China, Northeast India, and Myanmar.

First Recorded Use

c. 1300-1400

Cultural Associations

Orange is a vibrant color often associated with energy, warmth, enthusiasm, creativity, happiness, and determination. In many cultures, it symbolizes autumn and harvest. In some Asian cultures, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, saffron orange is considered sacred and represents spirituality and purity. In Western cultures, it's often linked to Halloween and autumn festivities. The fruit itself is a global symbol of health and vitamin C.

Similar Named Colors
Chrome Yellow #FFA700 ΔE 0.71
Dark Tangerine #FFA812 ΔE 0.84
Vivid Orange Peel #FFA000 ΔE 1.78
Orange Peel #FF9F00 ΔE 2.13

Code Snippets

/* Background */
.element {
    background-color: #FFA500;
}

/* Text */
.element {
    color: #FFA500;
}

/* Border */
.element {
    border: 1px solid #FFA500;
}

/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
    background: linear-gradient(
        to right,
        #FFA500,
        #005AFF
    );
}

/* Radial gradient */
.element {
    background: radial-gradient(
        circle,
        #FFA500,
        #005AFF
    );
}

// SCSS variable
$orange: #FFA500;

// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$orange-r: 255;
$orange-g: 165;
$orange-b: 0;

// Usage
.element {
    background-color: $orange;
    color: rgba($orange-r, $orange-g, $orange-b, 0.8);
}