Mustard Yellow Color Palette
Mustard Yellow is hex #FFDB58, rgb(255, 219, 88). Mustard is a dark, slightly dull yellow. It has a vintage, mid-century feel and is easier to live with than bright yellow.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Mustard Yellow color codes
Reading the mustard yellow color codes
The hex code #FFDB58 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. FF is 255, DB is 219 and 58 is 88, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(255, 219, 88) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives mustard yellow its yellow-orange character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 47 degrees places mustard yellow in the yellow-orange part of the color wheel. Saturation of 100% makes it vivid, and lightness of 67% makes it a light color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 0% cyan, 14% magenta, 65% yellow and 0% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to mustard yellow for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Mustard Yellow shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #FFDB58, so you can use mustard yellow for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"mustard-yellow": {
50: "#FFF7D8",
100: "#FFF0B8",
200: "#FFE998",
300: "#FFE278",
400: "#FFDB58",
500: "#E2C14C",
600: "#C4A841",
700: "#A78E35",
800: "#89742A",
900: "#6C5B1E",
950: "#4E4113",
},
},
},
}:root {
--mustard-yellow-50: #FFF7D8;
--mustard-yellow-100: #FFF0B8;
--mustard-yellow-200: #FFE998;
--mustard-yellow-300: #FFE278;
--mustard-yellow-400: #FFDB58;
--mustard-yellow-500: #E2C14C;
--mustard-yellow-600: #C4A841;
--mustard-yellow-700: #A78E35;
--mustard-yellow-800: #89742A;
--mustard-yellow-900: #6C5B1E;
--mustard-yellow-950: #4E4113;
}A shade-by-shade guide to mustard yellow
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#FFF7D8) and 100 (#FFF0B8), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the mustard yellow mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#FFE998) and 300 (#FFE278) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where mustard yellow is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 800 upward, so use step 800 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 700.
The darkest steps, 800 (#89742A) through 950 (#4E4113), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to mustard yellow. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with mustard yellow
How the mustard yellow color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from mustard yellow is #587CFF, which sits closest to royal blue among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #FF8758 and #D0FF58 sit 30 degrees either side of mustard yellow. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#58FFDB and #DB58FF) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to turquoise. The split complementary set (#58D0FF and #8758FF) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #FFF6D6 to #C89D00. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Mustard Yellow compared with similar colors
tan (#D2B48C) is about as light and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward orange. Choose tan if you want a softer, airier version; choose mustard yellow if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
pale yellow (#FFF4A3) is lighter (82% vs 67% lightness) and similarly saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward yellow-orange. Choose pale yellow if you want a softer, airier version; choose mustard yellow if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
sand (#C2B280) is darker (63% vs 67% lightness) and more muted, and shares almost the same hue. Choose sand if you need more weight and contrast; choose mustard yellow if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Mustard Yellow in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here mustard yellow carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using mustard yellow in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on mustard yellow only reach 1.35:1, so use dark text (15.53:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid mustard yellow for body text on white; use step 800 or darker for links and headings that need to read as mustard yellow.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid light color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with mustard yellow. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Mustard Yellow scores 1.35:1 against white (Fail) and 15.53:1 against black (AAA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use mustard yellow alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What mustard yellow means
Yellow is optimism, attention and warmth. Pale yellows feel sunny and gentle; deep yellows like mustard feel vintage and confident.
Mustard yellow is named after the condiment. It was a key color of mid-century and 1970s design and has come back as a confident, vintage-feeling alternative to bright yellow.
Yellow almost never works as text on white. Use it for backgrounds, highlights and warning states, and pair it with near-black text.
Where mustard yellow works best
- Retro and mid-century design
- Fashion
- Food brands
- Autumn campaigns
How to style mustard yellow
Mustard pairs with navy, charcoal, rust, cream and teal. It needs dark text. Use it for highlights, illustrations and warm accents, and pair it with a deep blue for a balanced, classic look.
Build a UI with mustard yellow
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #FFDB58 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Mustard Yellow · History and definition of mustard yellow.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for mustard yellow?
The hex code for mustard yellow used on this page is #FFDB58. In RGB that is rgb(255, 219, 88), and in HSL it is hsl(47, 100%, 67%).
What colors go well with mustard yellow?
Mustard Yellow pairs well with #E0A800, #FFF9E6, #2F3E46 (the Mid-Century palette above). Its complementary color is #587CFF, and analogous colors are #FF8758 and #D0FF58.
Is mustard yellow a warm or cool color?
Mustard Yellow is a warm color. Its hue sits at 47 degrees on the color wheel with 100% saturation.
Can I use mustard yellow for text?
Mustard Yellow has a contrast ratio of 1.35:1 against white and 15.53:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does mustard yellow mean?
Yellow is optimism, attention and warmth. Pale yellows feel sunny and gentle; deep yellows like mustard feel vintage and confident. Mustard Yellow in particular is used for retro and mid-century design and fashion.
How do I use mustard yellow in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#FFDB58] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-mustard-yellow-500 and text-mustard-yellow-900.
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