Closest web-safe match: #999900

Color Details and Palettes for #A29509

Details about the color Greedy Gecko#A29509

Conversions, palettes, contrast & design ideas for this color.

Yellow family Warm WCAG ink: dark
HEX #A29509 RGB rgb(162, 149, 9) HSL hsl(55, 89%, 34%) CMYK cmyk(0%, 8%, 94%, 36%)

Color profile

About Color Hex #A29509

#A29509 is a warm color from the Yellow family, closest in name to “Greedy Gecko”. In RGB it is rgb(162, 149, 9); in HSL, hsl(55, 89%, 34%).

The color Greedy Gecko, with hexadecimal code #a29509, resides in the yellow color family, the most visible hue in the spectrum. Yellow radiates optimism, intellect, and cheerful energy—qualities that made it the imperial color of ancient China. Additionally, it evokes emotions such as Happiness, Optimism, Positivity, Intellect and Energy. Yellow represents wealth, glory, and wisdom in various cultures, including being the color of royalty in ancient China. It is also associated with happiness and optimism in many Western cultures. With a high saturation of 89%, this color is intensely vivid—demanding attention and ideal for focal elements like buttons, banners, and brand marks. Its low lightness of 34% produces a deep, rich appearance—conveying gravity and luxury, particularly effective in dark-mode designs and premium packaging. This color is ideal for designs that aim to express Happiness, Optimism, Positivity, Intellect, or Energy. It can be effectively used in web design, branding, and marketing materials to attract attention and convey specific messages.

Key facts

RGB 162, 149, 9 red · green · blue HSL 55° 89% 34% hue · sat · light HSV 55° 94% 64% design-app pickers CMYK 0 8 94 36 print inks, % Luminance 0.292 0 dark → 1 light On black 6.84:1 ✓ AA contrast ratio On white 3.07:1 ✕ AA contrast ratio Web-safe #999900 closest web-safe Best text black ideal foreground Character Vivid warm · yellow family

The story of this color

History, Usage, Psychology & Design Ideas for #A29509

Greedy Gecko (#A29509) belongs to the Yellow color family.

This deep, saturated shade conveys authority and richness. Deep tones are favored in luxury packaging, evening-event branding, and dark-mode interfaces where they provide dramatic contrast against lighter elements.

Historical Background

Yellow ochre was one of the first pigments used in cave art, and later Egyptians produced orpiment—a toxic arsenic-based yellow—for tomb paintings. In imperial China, only the emperor could wear bright yellow, making it the most restricted color in the nation. Van Gogh famously obsessed over chrome yellow, using it lavishly in his Sunflowers series and Arles landscapes.

Design & Usage Tips

Yellow is the most visible color in daylight, which is why it dominates warning signs, taxi cabs, and highlighter pens. Use it for attention-grabbing headlines or promotional banners, but ensure sufficient contrast with text—dark gray or black on yellow maintains readability. Avoid large yellow backgrounds on screens, as they can cause eye fatigue.

Positioned on the warm side of the color wheel (hue 55°), it naturally draws the eye and creates a sense of closeness—making it effective for calls to action, food photography, and hospitality branding. At 89% saturation, this is a highly vivid color that demands attention. Use it where maximum visual impact is needed—feature banners, accent buttons, and data-visualization highlights.

Psychological Impact

Yellow radiates optimism, intellect, and energy. It stimulates mental activity and generates a sense of cheerfulness, which makes it popular in children's products and educational materials. However, overly bright yellows can provoke anxiety, so context and tone matter.

Its low lightness of 34% gives it a deep, intense presence. Deep tones like this excel as dark-mode backgrounds, header bars, and anywhere a sense of gravity or luxury is desired.

Creative Design Ideas

Pair canary yellow with charcoal for a modern, high-contrast editorial style. Use soft butter yellow as a background for recipe blogs or lifestyle content to evoke warmth. In branding, a yellow logomark on a white background signals innovation and forward-thinking (think Snapchat or National Geographic).

Every format

#A29509 Color Conversions

Every way to write Greedy Gecko — one-tap copy on every format; tap on any card to learn what it is and when to use it.

12 formats
HEX Web
#A29509

Hexadecimal is the web’s universal color notation — two digits each for red, green and blue. Drop it straight into HTML, CSS or any design tool.

RGB Screen
rgb(162, 149, 9)

RGB is the additive Red-Green-Blue model every screen uses to emit light. The default choice for websites, apps and on-screen UI.

HSL Web
hsl(55, 89%, 34%)

HSL breaks a color into Hue, Saturation and Lightness — the most intuitive way to lighten, darken or mute a color in CSS.

HSV HSB Design
hsv(55, 94%, 64%)

HSV (also called HSB) maps Hue, Saturation and Value/Brightness. It is the model behind the color pickers in Photoshop, Figma and most design apps.

HWB CSS 4
hwb(55 4% 36%)

HWB blends a pure hue with Whiteness and Blackness — a painter-friendly model added in CSS Color 4 for quick tints and shades.

CMYK Print
cmyk(0%, 8%, 94%, 36%)

CMYK is the subtractive Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black ink model. Use these values when preparing artwork for a printer or commercial press.

OKLCH Modern
oklch(66.06% 0.137 103.17)

OKLCH is a modern, perceptually-uniform space (Lightness, Chroma, Hue). It powers smooth gradients and accessible palettes in today’s CSS.

OKLab Modern
oklab(66.06% -0.031 0.134)

OKLab is the Cartesian form of OKLCH — ideal for blending and interpolating colors without the muddy midpoints older spaces produce.

CIELAB L*a*b* Perceptual
L: 60.95, a: -8.39, b: 63.33

CIELAB is a device-independent, perceptually-uniform space. It is the standard for measuring color difference (ΔE) and matching across devices.

LCH Perceptual
L: 60.95, C: 63.88, H: 97.55

LCH is CIELAB in cylindrical form — Lightness, Chroma and Hue — letting you adjust vividness and hue while staying perceptually even.

XYZ CIE Science
X: 25.70, Y: 29.20, Z: 4.54

CIE XYZ is the 1931 master space that underpins every other model here — the scientific bridge used to convert between color systems.

Decimal int Code
10654985

The 24-bit integer value of the color — handy for databases, APIs, game engines and low-level graphics code.

Channel breakdown

RGB Color Percentages for #A29509

How much red, green and blue light mixes into Greedy Gecko.

Red 162/255 50.6% Green 149/255 46.6% Blue 9/255 2.8%

Percentages show each channel's share of the total light (R + G + B) in Greedy Gecko.

Ink coverage

CMYK Ink Levels & Print Guide for #A29509

Ink needed to reproduce Greedy Gecko in four-color print. Heaviest ink: Yellow.

0% CYAN 8% MAGENTA 94% YELLOW 36% KEY

Print tip: treat these values as a starting point — final output depends on printer profile, paper stock and calibration.

Accessibility · WCAG

Luminance & Contrast for #A29509

How bright Greedy Gecko is, and how far black and white text clear each WCAG bar.

Relative luminance 0.292
0 · dark1 · light

Contrast ratio · 1:1 → 21:1 (log scale)

Aa Black text 6.84:1 ✓ AA ✕ AAA ✓ Large
Aa White text 3.07:1 ✕ AA ✕ AAA ✓ Large

Developer shortcuts

Quick CSS Snippets for #A29509

Copy-and-paste CSS for Greedy Gecko — per-line copy, or grab the whole block.

greedy-gecko.css
background-color: #A29509;
color: #A29509;
border: 2px solid #A29509;
background-color: rgb(162, 149, 9);
background-color: hsl(55, 89%, 34%);
--color: #A29509;

Shades · light to dark

#A29509 Monochrome Palette

Lighter and darker steps of Greedy Gecko — the color's full brightness range in one strip.

#F6F4E6
#E8E5C2
#DAD59D
#CCC578
#BEB553
#B0A52E
#A29509
#8A7F08
#716806
#595205
#413C04
#292502
#100F01

The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.

Harmony · 180° apart

#A29509 Complementary Palette

Two colors opposite on the wheel — maximum contrast for attention-grabbing accents.

#A29509
#0A16A4

The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.

Harmony · adjacent hues

#A29509 Analogic Palette

Neighboring hues on the wheel — harmonious, calm combinations that feel unified.

#A29509
#64A40A
#A44A0A
#16A40A
#A40A16
#0AA44A
#A40A64

The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.

Harmony · 120° apart

#A29509 Triadic Palette

Three colors evenly spaced on the wheel — vibrant and energetic, yet balanced.

#A29509
#0AA497
#970AA4

The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.

Harmony · 90° apart

#A29509 Quad Palette

Four colors evenly spaced on the wheel (tetradic) — rich schemes with multiple accents.

#A29509
#0AA44A
#0A16A4
#A40A64

The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.

Accessibility

Color Blindness Simulation for #A29509

How Greedy Gecko reads across five kinds of color vision — a ✓ Friendly verdict means the color difference stays distinguishable for that vision type.

#A29509
#9D9E33
#9C9C2B
#A1464C
#8E8E8E
Normal vision full color Deuteranopia green weakness ✓ Friendly Protanopia red weakness ✓ Friendly Tritanopia blue-yellow weakness ✕ Not friendly Achromatopsia total color blindness ✕ Not friendly

The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex.

Harmony overview

Color Harmonies for #A29509

The lead color from each harmony scheme, side by side — a shortcut to the full palettes above.

#0A16A4
#64A40A
#0AA497
#0AA44A
Complementary opposite hue Analogous adjacent hue Triadic 120° apart Tetradic (Quad) 90° apart

Perceptually nearby

#A29509 Nearby Colors

A step away in brightness, richness or shade — each still feels like the same color.

Greenfinch#BBAA22
Captain Kirk#998800
Indian Pale Ale#CCBB33
Olive#887700
Lucky#AA9900
Greedy Gecko#AA9922
Densetsu Green#889911
Dark Goldenrod#BB8811

From the color-name library

Colors Similar to #A29509

The closest named colors to #A29509 — same mood, each with its own character.

Greedy Gecko#AA9922
Lucky#AB9A1C
Papyrus#999911
Martian#AEA132
Sunken Gold#B29700
Captain Kirk#9B870C
Gecko#9D913C
Countryside#A4A404
Faint Gold#B59410
Brass#B5A642
Jalapeño#9A8D3F
Greenfinch#BDA928

Looking for more Yellow shades? Browse Yellow colors →

Inspiration

Explore Vibrant Images Featuring Greedy Gecko (#a29509)

Curated Unsplash photos that carry the mood of Greedy Gecko — hover any tile to download it or view the original.

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions about #A29509

#A29509 is a warm color from the Yellow family. Its closest matched name is “Greedy Gecko”, matched perceptually with the CIEDE2000 color-difference formula. In RGB it is rgb(162, 149, 9); in HSL, hsl(55, 89%, 34%).
In RGB, #A29509 is rgb(162, 149, 9); in HSL it is hsl(55, 89%, 34%); and in CMYK — the model used for print — it is cmyk(0%, 8%, 94%, 36%).
#A29509 has a contrast ratio of 6.84:1 against black and 3.07:1 against white. For readability, black body text meets the WCAG AA threshold of 4.5:1 on it, while white does not.
The direct complement of #A29509 is #0A16A4 (opposite on the color wheel). For ready-made combinations, this page includes monochrome, analogous, triadic and tetradic palettes built from #A29509 in the palette sections above.