Sweet Sue
Sweet Sue is a richly saturated orange shade with RGB(216, 170, 134) and hex code #D8AA86, reading as medium-light at a glance.
HEX
#D8AA86
RGB
216, 170, 134
HSL
26°, 51%, 69%
CMYK
0%, 21%, 38%, 15%
LAB
73, 12, 25
Quick copy
Description
- •Sweet Sue (#D8AA86) is a warm-toned orange color defined by RGB values of 216, 170, 134 and HSL values of 26 degrees hue, 51% saturation, and 69% lightness. At 69% lightness it appears medium-light, and its richly saturated character makes it suitable as a strong accent or brand color. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #86B4D8 for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #D8D386 and #D8868B for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a orange shade, Sweet Sue tends to carry the general associations of that hue family: creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability. Orange sits between red and yellow on the wheel and is often associated with warmth, enthusiasm, and affordability in branding.
Hue family
orange
Saturation level
richly saturated
Lightness level
medium-light
Temperature
warm
Because Sweet Sue is richly saturated and medium-light, it tends to feel bold and attention-grabbing in a design context.
Meaning
Within the orange family, colors like Sweet Sue are commonly associated with creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability, though exact interpretation depends on cultural context and surrounding design elements.
Hue family
orange
Common associations
creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability
Temperature
warm
History
- 1Sweet Sue is a named point in a modern digital color palette rather than a documented historical pigment, but the orange family it belongs to has a long design history. Orange sits between red and yellow on the wheel and is often associated with warmth, enthusiasm, and affordability in branding.
Color info
Quick actions
Visual perception
- At HSL(26, 51%, 69%), Sweet Sue has a relative luminance of about 0.45 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
- Sweet Sue (#D8AA86) 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 Sweet Sue with black text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 10.0:1). It is versatile enough to use for larger surfaces such as backgrounds or cards.
Examples
web design
call-to-action buttons
branding
logo accent color
UI design
card and panel backgrounds
spot color for emphasis
Purpose
Sweet Sue works well for accent elements, buttons, and calls-to-action that need to stand out, given its richly saturated and medium-light profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with black text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 10.0:1
palette flexibility
combines with #86B4D8 (complementary) and #86D8AA/#AA86D8 (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as bold and energetic across most screens