Goldenrod meaning and palette guide
HEX
#DAA520
RGB
218, 165, 32
HSL
43°, 74%, 49%
HSV
43°, 85%, 85%
Goldenrod (#DAA520) is a deep, brown-tinged yellow that behaves almost like a dark gold in UI and print. It holds up on cream or kraft backgrounds where paler yellows disappear, giving borders, typography, and heritage marks a settled weight. Its lower lightness makes it easier to use as a secondary color.
Best for
Financial services branding and client-facing digital experiences.
Accessibility
Check contrast before using goldenrod for text-heavy layouts, especially on low-contrast backgrounds.
How does goldenrod compare to nearby colors?
What is the difference between goldenrod and honey?
Goldenrod (#DAA520) feels more softened on screen, while Honey (#EB9605) pushes the family in the opposite direction. Goldenrod keeps the overall palette calmer, while Honey introduces more visual insistence with less area. Begin with goldenrod when the family needs its current undertone and surface character; keep honey for the nearby alternative that shifts the mood without leaving the same hue neighborhood.
What color is goldenrod?
Named for the North American goldenrod wildflower. The name is also familiar from the CSS/X11 color keyword set and classic autumn design palettes.
What is the hex code for goldenrod?
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #DAA520 |
| RGB | rgb(218, 165, 32) |
| HSL | hsl(43°, 74%, 49%) |
| HSV / HSB | hsv(43°, 85%, 85%) |
| CMYK (approx.) | cmyk(0%, 24%, 85%, 15%) |
Convert Goldenrod to other color formats
Open the color converter with Goldenrod (#DAA520) prefilled to copy RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, or OKLCH values.
Convert Goldenrod in the color converter →What does goldenrod mean in design?
Goldenrod may suggest harvest, longevity, or understated luxury. Compared with saffron or honey, goldenrod is typically darker and less orange; compared with mustard, it often feels more metallic-gold and less kitchen-yellow.
How do I use goldenrod in code?
| CSS (hex) | color: #DAA520; |
| CSS (rgb) | color: rgb(218, 165, 32); |
| CSS (hsl) | color: hsl(43, 74%, 49%); |
| RGB % | rgb(85%, 65%, 13%) |
| Tailwind | text-[#DAA520] |
| SwiftUI | Color(red: 0.855, green: 0.647, blue: 0.125) |
| UIKit | UIColor(red: 0.855, green: 0.647, blue: 0.125, alpha: 1.0) |
| Android | Color.rgb(218, 165, 32) |
| Compose | Color(0xFFDAA520) |
| Web Safe | #CC9933 |
Is goldenrod accessible?
| Combination | Ratio | AA | AA lg | AAA | AAA lg | UI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AaWhite text on this color | 2.24:1 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AaBlack text on this color | 9.38:1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AaThis color as text on white | 2.24:1 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AaThis color as text on black | 9.38:1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
WCAG 2.1: AA normal ≥ 4.5:1, AA large text ≥ 3:1, AAA normal ≥ 7:1, AAA large ≥ 4.5:1, UI components ≥ 3:1.
How does goldenrod look with color blindness?
Simulated appearance for common types of color vision deficiency. Actual perception varies by individual.
What colors go with goldenrod
White gives goldenrod enough open space that the color can feel vivid without turning the whole palette noisy.
Navy blue helps goldenrod read less like raw signal color and more like part of a complete palette.
With a vivid goldenrod, cream is gentler than white, so the palette keeps warmth and avoids looking overlit.
What colors clash with goldenrod
With goldenrod, Neon Green pushes the work toward novelty or screen-effect territory faster than most brand or editorial systems can tolerate.
With goldenrod, magenta introduces a second emotional story instead of reinforcing the first one, so the palette can feel internally split.
Cyan redirects goldenrod toward a more technical, backlit interpretation, which is risky when the goal is warmth, polish, or print-minded editorial work.
Light Gray is gentle enough that goldenrod loses some of its structure beside it; the pair can feel underbuilt rather than intentionally quiet.
How should I use goldenrod in design?
- •Use goldenrod where you need a clear, ownable color — logos, primary CTAs, and hero sections where it carries the visual identity.
- •Pair goldenrod with cool accents (navy, sage, steel blue) for sharp contrast, or keep it with other warm tones (cream, gold, tan) for a cohesive, editorial feel.
- •Goldenrod is most effective for callouts, data highlights, and seasonal accents — contexts where quick eye-catching matters more than sustained surface coverage.
What are good goldenrod palettes?
Executive edge
Financial services branding and client-facing digital experiences.
Design with goldenrod in Moda
Create a presentation or document using goldenrod as your accent color. Moda's AI applies your color palette automatically.
Create a design with goldenrod →What are the shades and tints of goldenrod?
Shades (darker)
Tints (lighter)
Tones (desaturated)
Hue variations
What are the color harmonies for goldenrod?
Harmonies are calculated from the base swatch. When a harmony matches a named color page, it links there; otherwise it appears here as a computed reference swatch.
Similar colors
Honey
Honey sits close to goldenrod on the wheel, but it carries more pigment pressure, which makes it better for faster emphasis and brighter accent work than for broader coverage and quieter supporting roles.
Saffron
Saffron stays very close to goldenrod in hue, but it lands lighter, which makes it better for backgrounds, tints, and softer supporting areas than for accents, stronger hierarchy, and firmer structure.
Amber
Amber sits close to goldenrod on the wheel, but it carries more pigment pressure, which makes it better for faster emphasis and brighter accent work than for broader coverage and quieter supporting roles.
Orange
Orange is nearly adjacent to goldenrod in hue; what separates them is intensity, with orange reading cleaner and more assertive.
Gold
Gold is nearly adjacent to goldenrod in hue; what separates them is intensity, with gold reading cleaner and more assertive.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hex code for goldenrod?
The hex code for goldenrod is #DAA520. In RGB, that's 218 red, 165 green, and 32 blue. The approximate CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 24% magenta, 85% yellow, and 15% key (black).
Is goldenrod a warm or cool color?
Goldenrod sits on the warm side of the palette, so it pairs easily with other warm tones and becomes more energetic when you place it against cooler blues or blue-grays.
Should goldenrod lead the palette or stay in supporting roles?
Goldenrod has enough chroma to take the lead, but it usually performs best when the surrounding system stays quieter. Treat it as the voice of emphasis, not the answer to every layout need.
Where does goldenrod work best in a layout?
Goldenrod sits in the middle of the spectrum in a useful way: strong enough for emphasis, but controlled enough to support a broader brand or presentation system when the contrast is handled well.
Is goldenrod accessible?
Goldenrod works better with dark text than white text. Black text reaches 9.38:1 contrast on the swatch, which makes the color more usable as a background or highlight surface than as a dark panel.
More yellow colors
Keep exploring color resources
All color pages
Browse the full library of color references, pairings, and palettes.
Yellow colors
Compare goldenrod with other yellow tones.
Brown colors
Explore nearby color families to build stronger palettes and contrasts.
Green colors
Explore nearby color families to build stronger palettes and contrasts.
Neutral colors
Explore nearby color families to build stronger palettes and contrasts.
Last updated April 6, 2026
Color values are computed from the listed hex code using standard conversion formulas. RGB, HSL, and HSV are exact screen-ready conversions. CMYK is an approximate on-screen reference, not a press-ready print specification. Pairings, palettes, and use-case guidance are heuristic recommendations derived from color relationships, contrast behavior, and common presentation, document, and UI patterns.