Gurkha
Gurkha is a muted yellow shade with RGB(152, 145, 113) and hex code #989171, reading as medium-light at a glance.
HEX
#989171
RGB
152, 145, 113
HSL
49°, 16%, 52%
CMYK
0%, 5%, 26%, 40%
LAB
60, -3, 18
Quick copy
Description
- •Gurkha (#989171) is a warm-toned yellow color defined by RGB values of 152, 145, 113 and HSL values of 49 degrees hue, 16% saturation, and 52% lightness. At 52% lightness it appears medium-light, and its muted character makes it well suited for backgrounds, text, or supporting UI elements. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #717898 for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #8B9871 and #987D71 for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a yellow shade, Gurkha tends to carry the general associations of that hue family: optimism, caution, and energy. Yellow reflects the most visible light of any hue to the human eye, which is why it is used heavily for warning signs and attention-grabbing accents.
Hue family
yellow
Saturation level
muted
Lightness level
medium-light
Temperature
warm
Because Gurkha is muted and medium-light, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the yellow family, colors like Gurkha are commonly associated with optimism, caution, and energy, though exact interpretation depends on cultural context and surrounding design elements.
Hue family
yellow
Common associations
optimism, caution, and energy
Temperature
warm
History
- 1Gurkha is a named point in a modern digital color palette rather than a documented historical pigment, but the yellow family it belongs to has a long design history. Yellow reflects the most visible light of any hue to the human eye, which is why it is used heavily for warning signs and attention-grabbing accents.
Color info
Quick actions
Visual perception
- At HSL(49, 16%, 52%), Gurkha has a relative luminance of about 0.28 on a 0-1 scale, which generally poses low risk for common color vision deficiencies, though pairing with sufficient lightness contrast is still recommended.
Technology specific
- Gurkha (#989171) renders consistently on standard sRGB displays; on wider-gamut or uncalibrated screens, expect minor shifts in perceived saturation. For print reproduction, convert from RGB to CMYK and proof physically, since muted colors like this can shift noticeably between screen and print.
Guidance
Use Gurkha with black text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 6.6:1). It is versatile enough to use for larger surfaces such as backgrounds or cards.
Examples
web design
page backgrounds
branding
neutral brand background
UI design
card and panel backgrounds
body text or subtle fill
Purpose
Gurkha works well for backgrounds, body text, or supporting UI surfaces where subtlety matters, given its muted and medium-light profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with black text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 6.6:1
palette flexibility
combines with #717898 (complementary) and #719891/#917198 (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as calm and neutral across most screens