Willow
Willow is a moderately saturated yellow shade with RGB(154, 139, 79) and hex code #9A8B4F, reading as medium-dark at a glance.
HEX
#9A8B4F
RGB
154, 139, 79
HSL
48°, 32%, 46%
CMYK
0%, 10%, 49%, 40%
LAB
58, -3, 34
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Description
- •Willow (#9A8B4F) is a warm-toned yellow color defined by RGB values of 154, 139, 79 and HSL values of 48 degrees hue, 32% saturation, and 46% lightness. At 46% lightness it appears medium-dark, and its moderately saturated character makes it well suited for backgrounds, text, or supporting UI elements. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #4F5E9A for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #839A4F and #9A664F for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a yellow shade, Willow 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
moderately saturated
Lightness level
medium-dark
Temperature
warm
Because Willow is moderately saturated and medium-dark, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the yellow family, colors like Willow 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
- 1Willow 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
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Visual perception
- At HSL(48, 32%, 46%), Willow has a relative luminance of about 0.26 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
- Willow (#9A8B4F) 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 Willow with black text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 6.2:1). 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
Willow works well for backgrounds, body text, or supporting UI surfaces where subtlety matters, given its moderately saturated and medium-dark profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with black text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 6.2:1
palette flexibility
combines with #4F5E9A (complementary) and #4F9A8B/#8B4F9A (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as calm and neutral across most screens