Buttercup Color
Buttercup is a orange color with hex code #F3AD16. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with buttercup, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Buttercup Color Values
What Does Buttercup Mean?
Buttercup belongs to the orange family of colors. Orange splits the difference between red's urgency and yellow's cheer. Food brands live here because warm oranges read as appetizing, and autumn design would be lost without them. As a rule of thumb, orange feels friendlier than red and louder than yellow. Buttercup sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Buttercup is classified as a orange (nearest centroid: vivid orange yellow, #F6A600).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Buttercup
Buttercup and #165CF3 are complements, parked opposite each other on the wheel. Together they hit maximum contrast, so a rough 70/30 split keeps the pairing from shouting.
Analogous neighbors — #F33F16 and #CAF316, which sit beside buttercup on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair buttercup with triadic partners #16F3AD and #AD16F3. All three sit evenly spaced around the wheel, so the scheme stays lively without clashing.
Build and test these combinations in our Color Wheel Tool or check text readability with the Contrast Checker.
Tints and Shades
Tints (lighter)
Shades (darker)
Similar Colors
- Squash —
#F2AB15(Delta E 1) - My Sin —
#FFB31F(Delta E 4) - Sun —
#FBAC13(Delta E 4) - Amber —
#FEB308(Delta E 5) - Orangey Yellow —
#FDB915(Delta E 6)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #F3AD16; }
.background { background-color: #F3AD16; }
.border { border: 2px solid #F3AD16; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #F3AD1640; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for buttercup?
Buttercup has the hex code #F3AD16. In RGB notation it is rgb(243, 173, 22), in HSL it is hsl(41, 90%, 52%), and its OKLCH value is 0.794, 0.161, 78.6.
What does the color buttercup mean?
Orange-family colors like buttercup carry distinct psychological associations. Buttercup belongs to the orange family of colors. Orange splits the difference between red's urgency and yellow's cheer. Food brands live here because warm oranges read as appetizing, and autumn design would be lost without them. As a rule of thumb, orange feels friendlier than red and louder than yellow. Buttercup sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
What colors go with buttercup?
Buttercup has three easy routes: its complement #165CF3 for punch, its neighbors #F33F16 and #CAF316 for something calmer, or triadic partners #16F3AD and #AD16F3 when you want energy.
Is buttercup a standard web color?
No — Buttercup is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #F3AD16 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make buttercup lighter or darker?
To lighten buttercup, add white to create tints; to darken it, add black to create shades. The tints and shades table above shows five computed steps of each, from #FDF1D8 (lightest tint) to #2C1F02 (darkest shade).
About Buttercup
Buttercup is classified as a Orange in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Orange hue family. It has The color is recognized by Resene.
Use our Color Converter to convert #F3AD16 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.