Color Details and Palettes for #BC8239

Details about the color Cut the Mustard

Closest web-safe match: #CC9933

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 #BC8239
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About Color Hex #bc8239

The color Cut the Mustard, with hexadecimal code #bc8239, sits in the orange color family, typically linked to enthusiasm, creativity, and warmth. Orange hues stimulate appetite and social interaction, which is why food brands and community platforms favor them. Additionally, it evokes emotions such as Creativity, Success, Encouragement, Stimulation and Vitality. Orange is associated with spirituality and courage in some cultures, such as in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Western cultures, it often represents autumn, harvest, and creativity. At 53% saturation, this color is clearly chromatic yet balanced—colorful enough to be distinctive without overwhelming adjacent content. With a mid-range lightness of 48%, it offers excellent versatility—readable as text on light backgrounds and visible as an element on dark ones. This color is ideal for designs that aim to express Creativity, Success, Encouragement, Stimulation, or Vitality. It can be effectively used in web design, branding, and marketing materials to attract attention and convey specific messages.

The RGB values for Cut the Mustard are (188, 130, 57), providing a combination of red: 188, green: 130, and blue: 57. In HSL format, it has a hue of 33.00°, saturation of 53.00%, and lightness of 48.00%.

The HSV representation includes a hue of 33.00°, saturation of 70.00%, and value of 74.00%. Its CMYK composition is cyan: 0.00%, magenta: 31.00%, yellow: 70.00%, and black: 26.00%.

The calculated luminance of #bc8239 is 0.270, offering a brightness level suitable for various design requirements.

This color is not part of the web-safe color palette. The closest web-safe color to this is the color HEX #CC9933. Its contrast ratio is 6.39:1 against black and 3.29:1 against white. It works well on dark backgrounds but may be less readable on lighter ones.

In terms of color temperature, #bc8239 reads as warm. When it comes to accessibility, testing against standard guidelines suggests that using black text meets typical WCAG contrast standards. Additionally, the ideal foreground color for improved legibility on #bc8239 is black.

Considering its saturation and lightness, #bc8239 appears more vivid and energetic, making it stand out in designs that aim to capture attention.

History, Usage, Psychology & Design Ideas for #BC8239

Cut the Mustard (#BC8239) belongs to the Orange color family.

With moderate saturation and balanced lightness, this muted tone feels sophisticated and understated. Muted hues like this excel in editorial design, professional portfolios, and interior spaces that seek calm refinement.

Historical Background

Orange as a distinct color name entered the English language in the 16th century, borrowed from the Sanskrit word for the fruit. In Buddhist tradition, saffron-orange robes signify renunciation and spiritual seeking. Dutch royalty adopted orange as a national symbol through the House of Orange-Nassau, and the color remains central to the Netherlands' national identity and celebrations.

Design & Usage Tips

Orange radiates warmth and sociability, making it effective for calls to action, subscription prompts, and community-oriented brands. It pairs beautifully with deep blue for complementary contrast or with cream for a softer, artisanal look. Avoid pairing orange with red, as the two can visually clash at similar saturation levels.

Positioned on the warm side of the color wheel (hue 33°), it naturally draws the eye and creates a sense of closeness—making it effective for calls to action, food photography, and hospitality branding. With 53% saturation, it occupies a comfortable middle ground: colorful enough to be distinctive, yet restrained enough for extended reading or large surface areas.

Psychological Impact

Orange stimulates enthusiasm, creativity, and appetite—which is why food delivery apps and restaurant chains frequently feature it. It signals fun and accessibility, lowering barriers to engagement. Too much orange can feel overwhelming, so balance it with generous white space.

With a mid-range lightness of 48%, this tone is highly versatile: dark enough to serve as body text on white, yet light enough to stand out on charcoal or navy backgrounds.

Creative Design Ideas

Create vibrant gradient backgrounds transitioning from orange to yellow for summer campaign landing pages. Use burnt orange with charcoal typography for a sophisticated autumn editorial palette. In app design, orange notification badges on a dark interface draw the eye immediately.

#BC8239 Color Conversions

Every way to write Cut the Mustard — copy Cut the Mustard as RGB, HSL, HSV, HWB, CMYK, OKLCH, OKLab, CIELAB, LCH, XYZ or a decimal integer. One-tap copy on every format; tap on any card to learn what it is and when to use it.

12 formats
HEX Web
#BC8239

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(188, 130, 57)

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(33, 53%, 48%)

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(33, 70%, 74%)

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(33 22% 26%)

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%, 31%, 70%, 26%)

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(65.16% 0.114 69.45)

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

OKLab Modern
oklab(65.16% 0.040 0.106)

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: 58.93, a: 15.40, b: 47.13

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

LCH Perceptual
L: 58.93, C: 49.58, H: 71.90

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

XYZ CIE Science
X: 29.46, Y: 26.95, Z: 7.52

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
12354105

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

RGB Color Percentages for #bc8239

RGB Color Percentages for Cut the Mustard (HEX Code: #bc8239) display the relative contribution of Red, Green, and Blue in forming the color. Understanding these percentages provides insight into the color's visual balance and primary components.

This color is primarily dominated by Red, making up 50.13% of the total composition. The complete breakdown of RGB contributions is:

Red:
50.13%
Green:
34.67%
Blue:
15.2%

This analysis highlights the influence of each primary color, offering a deeper understanding of the visual characteristics of Cut the Mustard.

CMYK Ink Levels & Print Guide for #bc8239

CMYK Ink Levels for Cut the Mustard (HEX Code: #bc8239) provide a breakdown of the percentages of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black inks needed for accurate print reproduction. The composition of Cut the Mustard prominently features Yellow, reflecting its dominant color characteristic. This information is invaluable for optimizing ink usage and achieving precise color results in printed materials.

The exact CMYK values are: Cyan: 0%, Magenta: 30.85%, Yellow: 69.68%, and Black: 26.27%.

Luminance & Contrast for #BC8239

Relative luminance gauges how bright Cut the Mustard is, while the WCAG contrast ratios show how legible black or white text is on it — and which accessibility levels (AA / AAA) it passes.

Relative luminance 0.270
0 · dark1 · light
Aa
Black text 6.39:1
AA AAA Large
Aa
White text 3.29:1
AA AAA Large

Quick CSS Snippets for #BC8239

Copy-and-paste CSS for Cut the Mustard — backgrounds, text, borders and a custom property. Each line is ready to drop into your stylesheet.

Background background-color: #BC8239;
Text color: #BC8239;
Border border: 2px solid #BC8239;
RGB background-color: rgb(188, 130, 57);
HSL background-color: hsl(33, 53%, 48%);
Variable --color: #BC8239;

#bc8239 Monochrome Palette

The Monochrome Palette consists of shades created by adjusting the brightness. These include lighter, original, and darker shades of the color. This layout helps to visualize the color's range and its potential use in design.

#f8f3eb
#eee0ce
#e4cdb0
#daba92
#d0a874
#c69557
#bc8239 Original
#a06f30
#845b28
#67481f
#4b3417
#2f210e
#130d06

#bc8239 Complementary Palette

The Complementary Palette is made up of two colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors create high contrast and vibrant designs, making them perfect for attention-grabbing elements and dynamic visuals.

#bc8239 Original
#3a74bb

#bc8239 Analogic Palette

The Analogic Palette consists of colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. These colors typically create harmonious and subtle designs, often used to evoke calmness and unity in your visual projects.

#bc8239 Original
#b5bb3a
#bb403a
#74bb3a
#bb3a74
#3abb40
#bb3ab5

#bc8239 Triadic Palette

The Triadic Palette is made up of three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel. This combination provides a vibrant and balanced color scheme, often used for dynamic and energetic designs while maintaining harmony.

#bc8239 Original
#3abb81
#813abb

#bc8239 Quad Palette

The Quad Palette, also known as tetradic, consists of four colors evenly spaced on the color wheel. This combination offers a diverse and bold color scheme, ideal for creating rich, complex designs with multiple accents while still maintaining balance.

#bc8239 Original
#3abb40
#3a74bb
#bb3ab5

Color Blindness Simulation for #bc8239

Colors are perceived differently by individuals with various forms of color blindness. Use the dropdown below to see how this color may look through the eyes of someone with color vision deficiency. Explore how Cut the Mustard (#bc8239) might appear to people with different visual experiences, and gain deeper insights into color accessibility for your designs!

Each color box displays a "Friendly" or "Not Friendly" tag in the bottom-right corner. A "Friendly" tag indicates that the color difference is distinguishable to individuals with the specific type of color blindness. Conversely, a "Not Friendly" tag means that the color difference might not be distinguishable, potentially causing accessibility issues in your design.

Normal Vision

Deuteranopia (Green Weakness)

Not Friendly

Protanopia (Red Weakness)

Friendly

Tritanopia (Blue-Yellow Weakness)

Not Friendly

Achromatopsia (Total Color Blindness)

Not Friendly

Color Harmonies for #bc8239

Color harmonies refer to the visually pleasing combinations of colors that are derived from specific relationships on the color wheel. These harmonious schemes, such as complementary, triadic, and analogous colors, create a balanced and engaging visual experience in design.

Complementary

Analogous

Triadic

Tetradic (Quad)

#BC8239 Nearby Colors

A handful of colors just a step away from #BC8239 — each one nudges the brightness, richness, or shade a little while still feeling like the same color. Use the buttons on any swatch to copy its hex or open its full color page.

#cc9944 Camel Cardinal
#aa7722 Chai Tea
#dd9955 Coffee Whip
#996622 Olivia
#bb8822 Dark Goldenrod
#bb8844 Peanut Butter
#aa8833 Rich Gold
#cc7744 Cork Wood

Colors Similar to #bc8239

These colors are close neighbours of #BC8239 in the RGB color space. Each subtle variation can produce a noticeably different mood in your design while remaining harmonious with the original Orange tone.

#bd8239 Cut the Mustard
#bc8339 Cut the Mustard
#bc823a Cut the Mustard
#bb8239 Cut the Mustard
#bc8139 Cut the Mustard
#bc8238 Cut the Mustard
#cd8239 Peru
#bc9339 Nugget
#bc824a Arrakis Spice
#ab8239 Weissbier
#bc7139 Lucky Penny
#bc8228 Gothic Gold

Looking for more Orange shades? Browse Orange colors →

Explore Vibrant Images Featuring Cut the Mustard (#bc8239)

Discover a vibrant gallery of images that not only showcase the captivating hue of Cut the Mustard, but also embody its unique mood and personality. Each carefully curated photo is selected to highlight the richness and diversity of this color, offering inspiration for design, art, and creative projects.