About Lemon Zest
Lemon Zest is a vivid, mid-toned yellow at #f9d857, sitting closest to lemon_yellow on the color wheel. In color psychology it reads as joyful, playful, and stimulating — a bright presence and a warm cast, and it brings noticeable energy to a layout.
For text on Lemon Zest, black performs best at 14.99:1 — passing WCAG AAA. In a palette it suits accent roles.
Contrast Accessibility
With white
1.40:1
With black
14.99:1
Color Conversions
#f9d857
rgb(249, 216, 87)
hsl(48°, 93%, 66%)
oklch(0.887 0.149 94.7)
cmyk(0%, 1300%, 6500%, 200%)
Tint & Shade Scale
A 10-step scale from light to dark, anchored to the base color at step 500. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Tone Scale
Color mixed with gray — reduces saturation without changing lightness. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Temperature
Hue shifted cooler and warmer in equal steps. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Color Psychology
Adds: cheerfulness, energy, youthfulness, approachability, openness · Reduces: formality
Palette Narrative
A culinary palette evoking alert, cheerful, energetic. Well-suited for casual and practical brand contexts. A focused selection that communicates intent clearly.
Inspired Palettes
Shades
Lightness variations keeping hue and chroma intact
Monochromatic
Single hue with varied lightness and chroma
Complementary
Opposite hues on the color wheel for maximum contrast
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues for vibrant balance
Analogous
Neighboring hues for natural, serene combinations
Split Complementary
Complement split into two flanking hues
Generic Gradient
Smooth lightness ramp from dark to light
Matching Gradient
Lightness ramp with a gentle hue drift
Skip Gradient
Alternating light and dark steps for rhythm
9 of 28 palettes from #f9d857
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