Desert

Also known as: Filtered Rays, Hay Wain, Laser, Glorious Gold

Desert sits on the warm side of the spectrum: a lively orange that feels friendly and enthusiastic. Try it in fitness brands and autumn palettes. Desert plays well with blue tones — the harmonies below show exactly which ones. Accessibility-wise, it needs a dark backdrop — 9.71:1 on black clears AA.

Desert color codes

HEX
#CCAD60
RGB
rgb(204, 173, 96)
RGBA
rgba(204, 173, 96, 1)
HSL
hsl(43, 51%, 59%)
HSV
hsv(43, 53%, 80%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 15%, 53%, 20%)
LAB
lab(72.3 4.6 43.5)
OKLCH
oklch(75.9% 0.103 88.0)

Color intelligence

sRGB safe

Displays accurately on every screen and translates well to print.

Temperature

CoolWarm

warm

Nearest standard colors

  • CSS: darkkhaki#BDB76B · ΔE 7.8
  • RAL 1002 — Sand yellow#D2AA6D · ΔE 4.9 · approximate

RAL values are widely published approximations of the physical standard. For Pantone-adjacent workflows, match by eye against a physical fan deck — Pantone's values are proprietary and device-dependent, so we don't print lookups.

Where Desert works

  • Web & UI: Best as a button fill, badge, or accent — pair it with white text only at large sizes, and check contrast.
  • Interiors: Strong for a whole room, excellent in doses: an accent wall, cabinetry, or a statement chair.
  • Fashion: Wears best as the statement piece — a top, scarf, or shoes — against neutral basics.
  • Branding: High-energy brand material: strong for food, fitness, and youth-facing marks — use sparingly in UI.
  • Web & UI: A supporting-cast color for UI: chart fills, tags, empty-state illustrations — not text.
  • Branding: A secondary brand color by nature: it supports a stronger primary and shines in illustration.

Copy as — every ecosystem

Tints, shades, and tones of Desert

Tints (lighter)

Shades (darker)

Tones (muted)

Color harmonies

Palettes built from Desert by rotating its hue in OKLCH space. Click any swatch to copy its hex code.

Complementary

Analogous

Triadic

Split-complementary

Tetradic

Monochromatic

Contrast & accessibility

Aa — on white

contrast 2.16:1

AA failAAA failAA large fail

Aa — on black

contrast 9.71:1

AA passAAA passAA large pass

Best text color on a Desert background: #000000

Palettes featuring Desert

Desert with its complement

Soft neighbors of Desert

Desert triad

Similar colors

Looking for maximum contrast instead? The complement of Desert is closest to Widowmaker.

Desert FAQs

What color is Desert?

Desert is a medium orange with the hex code #CCAD60. In HSL terms it has a hue of 43°, 51% saturation, and 59% lightness.

What is the hex code for Desert?

The hex code for Desert is #CCAD60. In RGB it's rgb(204, 173, 96), and in CMYK it's cmyk(0%, 15%, 53%, 20%).

What colors go well with Desert?

Desert pairs naturally with blue tones from its complementary harmony. Its own tints and shades always work as a monochrome scheme.

Got a photo with a color like this? Identify it with the analyzer — free, instant, private.