Papaya

Also known as: Rainbow Trout, Indian Paintbrush, Encounter, Umezome Pink

Quietly warm and inviting, Papaya is a warm-toned orange that earns its keep in autumn palettes and friendly UI accents. Because it leans warm, balancing it with a cyan keeps a palette from feeling one-note. Accessibility-wise, it needs a dark backdrop — 9.86:1 on black clears AA.

Papaya color codes

HEX
#FE985C
RGB
rgb(254, 152, 92)
RGBA
rgba(254, 152, 92, 1)
HSL
hsl(22, 99%, 68%)
HSV
hsv(22, 64%, 100%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 40%, 64%, 0%)
LAB
lab(73.0 35.5 48.1)
OKLCH
oklch(77.5% 0.144 49.9)

Color intelligence

sRGB safe

Displays accurately on every screen and translates well to print.

Temperature

CoolWarm

warm

Nearest standard colors

  • CSS: lightsalmon#FFA07A · ΔE 5.8
  • RAL 2003 — Pastel orange#FA842B · ΔE 6.3 · 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 Papaya 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 Papaya

Tints (lighter)

Shades (darker)

Tones (muted)

Color harmonies

Palettes built from Papaya 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 2.13:1

AA failAAA failAA large fail

Aa — on black

contrast 9.86:1

AA passAAA passAA large pass

Best text color on a Papaya background: #000000

Palettes featuring Papaya

Papaya with its complement

Soft neighbors of Papaya

Papaya triad

Similar colors

Looking for maximum contrast instead? The complement of Papaya is closest to Capri.

Papaya FAQs

What color is Papaya?

Papaya is a medium orange with the hex code #FE985C. In HSL terms it has a hue of 22°, 99% saturation, and 68% lightness.

What is the hex code for Papaya?

The hex code for Papaya is #FE985C. In RGB it's rgb(254, 152, 92), and in CMYK it's cmyk(0%, 40%, 64%, 0%).

What colors go well with Papaya?

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

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