Yellow3
yellow3 · #CDCD00
HEX
#CDCD00
RGB
rgb(205, 205, 0)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 20%)
HSL
hsl(60, 100%, 40%)
LAB
lab(80.0, -18.3, 80.2)
What is Yellow3?
Yellow3 is the yellow3 reference in the X11 named colors. Its sRGB value is #CDCD00 (rgb 205, 205, 0). It sits in the yellow family. Historical X Window System color names — the numbered 1-4 lightness variants of the classic xorg-server rgb.txt palette. See disclaimer for accuracy and trademark notes.
Accessibility
WCAG 2.1 contrast checks for Yellow3 as a background.
Black text on this color
White text on this color
Shades, tints & tonal scale of Yellow3
An 11-step tonal scale derived from Yellow3 (#CDCD00). Click any swatch to copy its HEX. Use these as a starting point for design tokens, hover states, and disabled states in a design system.
50
#FBFBEB
#FBFBEB
100
#F7F7D6
#F7F7D6
200
#EFEFAD
#EFEFAD
300
#E6E680
#E6E680
400
#DADA40
#DADA40
500
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
600
#AEAE00
#AEAE00
700
#858500
#858500
800
#5C5C00
#5C5C00
900
#333300
#333300
950
#191900
#191900
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
15%
#D6D66C
30%
#DEDE95
45%
#E5E5B3
60%
#EDEDCB
75%
#F4F4E1
Darker shades (mixed with black)
15%
#BFBF00
30%
#AFAF00
45%
#9D9D00
60%
#878700
75%
#6D6D00
Color harmonies for Yellow3
Classic color-theory harmonies derived from rotating the hue of Yellow3. Use these to build accent palettes, brand systems, and accessible UI color pairings.
Complementary
180° opposite — strongest contrast
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
#0000CC
#0000CC
Triadic
Three colors 120° apart
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
#00CCCC
#00CCCC
#CC00CC
#CC00CC
Analogous
Two neighbors ±30° on the wheel
#CC6600
#CC6600
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
#66CC00
#66CC00
Split-complementary
Base + two colors flanking its complement
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
#0066CC
#0066CC
#6600CC
#6600CC
Tetradic
Two complementary pairs
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
#00CC00
#00CC00
#0000CC
#0000CC
#CC00CC
#CC00CC
Square
Four colors evenly spaced 90° apart
#CDCD00
#CDCD00
#00CC66
#00CC66
#0000CC
#0000CC
#CC0066
#CC0066
Yellow3 in every color space
Full conversion of Yellow3 across the color spaces designers and developers actually use — including OKLCH (the perceptually-uniform space that powers Tailwind v4 and CSS Color Module Level 4) and HWB.
HEX
#CDCD00
RGB
rgb(205, 205, 0)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 20%)
HSL
hsl(60, 100%, 40%)
HSV
hsv(60, 100%, 80%)
HWB
hwb(60 0% 20%)
CIE Lab
lab(80.0 -18.3 80.2)
OKLCH
oklch(82.1% 0.179 109.8)
XYZ (D65)
xyz(47.01, 56.64, 8.46)
Copy-ready code for Yellow3
Drop-in snippets for CSS, Tailwind, Sass, iOS Swift, and Android XML. Click the copy button on any snippet to put it on your clipboard.
CSS
color: #CDCD00;
background-color: #CDCD00;CSS variable
:root {
--color-yellow3: #CDCD00;
}Tailwind config
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
'yellow3': '#CDCD00',
}Sass
$color-yellow3: #CDCD00;Swift UIColor
UIColor(red: 0.804, green: 0.804, blue: 0.000, alpha: 1.0)Android XML
<color name="yellow3">#CDCD00</color>Closest match in every color system
The nearest Yellow3 equivalent in every other color system on this site, ranked by ΔE2000 perceptual distance. Useful when translating between design-system, web-standard, and industrial color references.
Closest in X11 named colors
Top 6 ΔE2000-closest entries within the same collection.
Closest Pantone matches
Top 6 ΔE2000-closest Pantone references. Cross-system matching is approximate — see disclaimer.
Closest RAL Classic matches
Top 6 ΔE2000-closest RAL Classic references for industrial coating cross-reference.
RAL 1014
#E1CC4F
Ivory
RAL 1021
#F3DA0B
Rape yellow
RAL 1018
#F8F32B
Zinc yellow
RAL 1012
#C7B446
Lemon yellow
RAL 1017
#F5D033
Saffron yellow
RAL 1003
#E5BE01
Signal yellow
FAQ about Yellow3
What is the HEX code for Yellow3?
Yellow3 (yellow3) has the HEX code #CDCD00. In RGB it is rgb(205, 205, 0), and in CMYK it is cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 20%).
What is the OKLCH value of Yellow3?
Yellow3 converts to oklch(0.821 0.179 109.8). OKLCH is the perceptually uniform color space used by Tailwind v4 and CSS Color Module Level 4.
Is Yellow3 accessible for body text?
Used as a background, Yellow3 has a contrast ratio of 12.33:1 with black text and 1.70:1 with white text. WCAG 2.1 AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text. The current recommendation is to use black text and verify in real UI context.
What is the closest Pantone to Yellow3?
The closest Pantone reference to Yellow3 by ΔE2000 perceptual distance is Pantone 382 C (#C4D600). Cross-system Pantone matching is approximate; for color-critical print work, verify with a physical Pantone guide.
What is the closest RAL color to Yellow3?
The closest RAL Classic reference to Yellow3 by ΔE2000 distance is RAL 1014 (Ivory, #E1CC4F). RAL is a German industrial coating standard commonly used for paint, powder coat, and architectural specification.
What is the complementary color of Yellow3?
The complementary color (180° opposite on the HSL color wheel) of Yellow3 is #0000CC. Use it for high-contrast accents, error states, or call-to-action pairings.
Data provenance & source
X11 named colors (xorg rgb.txt)
The historical X11 color name list shipped in the xorg-server rgb.txt file. Roughly 550 entries covering classic computing color names like 'PapayaWhip', 'MediumAquamarine', and 'DarkSlateGray'. Many CSS named colors originate here. Use as a reference for legacy and creative color names. Most modern CSS implementations accept these names directly.
- Source type
- derived
- Confidence
- high
- License
- MIT/X11 license (X Consortium)
- Last reviewed
- 2026-05-24
Workflow tags
X11 colors are sRGB digital values from a 1980s color system. For print, convert to a process-appropriate color and proof against substrate.