Safflower

Also known as: My Sin, Mandarin Sorbet, Butterscotch, Peach Butter

Safflower is a soft, vivid orange that reads as warm and inviting. It shines in fitness brands and autumn palettes. Its complement lands in blue territory, which makes for striking two-color pairings. Accessibility-wise, it needs a dark backdrop — 11.31:1 on black clears AA.

Safflower color codes

HEX
#FDAE44
RGB
rgb(253, 174, 68)
RGBA
rgba(253, 174, 68, 1)
HSL
hsl(34, 98%, 63%)
HSV
hsv(34, 73%, 99%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 31%, 73%, 1%)
LAB
lab(77.6 23.3 63.7)
OKLCH
oklch(80.9% 0.149 70.3)

Color intelligence

sRGB safe

Displays accurately on every screen and translates well to print.

Temperature

CoolWarm

warm

Nearest standard colors

  • CSS: orange#FFA500 · ΔE 4.0
  • RAL 1017 — Saffron yellow#F6A950 · ΔE 2.8 · 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 Safflower 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 Safflower

Tints (lighter)

Shades (darker)

Tones (muted)

Color harmonies

Palettes built from Safflower 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 1.86:1

AA failAAA failAA large fail

Aa — on black

contrast 11.31:1

AA passAAA passAA large pass

Best text color on a Safflower background: #000000

Palettes featuring Safflower

Safflower with its complement

Soft neighbors of Safflower

Safflower triad

Similar colors

Looking for maximum contrast instead? The complement of Safflower is closest to Clear Sky.

Safflower FAQs

What color is Safflower?

Safflower is a medium orange with the hex code #FDAE44. In HSL terms it has a hue of 34°, 98% saturation, and 63% lightness.

What is the hex code for Safflower?

The hex code for Safflower is #FDAE44. In RGB it's rgb(253, 174, 68), and in CMYK it's cmyk(0%, 31%, 73%, 1%).

What colors go well with Safflower?

Safflower pairs naturally with blue tones from its complementary harmony, and with cyan accents from its split-complementary palette. Its own tints and shades always work as a monochrome scheme.

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