Buttermilk Color
Buttermilk is a yellow color with hex code #FFF1B5. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with buttermilk, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Buttermilk Color Values
What Does Buttermilk Mean?
Buttermilk belongs to the yellow family of colors. Yellow is the brightest thing in daylight, which makes it impossible to ignore and easy to overdo. School buses and hazard tape exist to exploit that visibility. In artwork, small amounts of yellow energize a piece; large fields of it tire the eye surprisingly fast. As a lighter shade, Buttermilk reads as airy and understated, comfortable working in backgrounds and across big surfaces.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Buttermilk is classified as a yellow (nearest centroid: pale yellow, #F3E5AB).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Buttermilk
Buttermilk and #B3C1FF 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 — #FFCBB3 and #E7FFB3, which sit beside buttermilk on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair buttermilk with triadic partners #B3FFF1 and #F1B3FF. 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
- Light Tan —
#FBEEAC(Delta E 3) - PaleGoldenRod —
#EEE8AA(Delta E 5) - Cape Honey —
#FEE5AC(Delta E 6) - Colonial White —
#FFEDBC(Delta E 6) - Astra —
#FAEAB9(Delta E 6)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #FFF1B5; }
.background { background-color: #FFF1B5; }
.border { border: 2px solid #FFF1B5; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #FFF1B540; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for buttermilk?
Buttermilk has the hex code #FFF1B5. In RGB notation it is rgb(255, 241, 181), in HSL it is hsl(49, 100%, 85%), and its OKLCH value is 0.955, 0.078, 96.5.
What does the color buttermilk mean?
Yellow-family colors like buttermilk carry distinct psychological associations. Buttermilk belongs to the yellow family of colors. Yellow is the brightest thing in daylight, which makes it impossible to ignore and easy to overdo. School buses and hazard tape exist to exploit that visibility. In artwork, small amounts of yellow energize a piece; large fields of it tire the eye surprisingly fast. As a lighter shade, Buttermilk reads as airy and understated, comfortable working in backgrounds and across big surfaces.
What colors go with buttermilk?
Buttermilk has three easy routes: its complement #B3C1FF for punch, its neighbors #FFCBB3 and #E7FFB3 for something calmer, or triadic partners #B3FFF1 and #F1B3FF when you want energy.
Is buttermilk a standard web color?
No — Buttermilk is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #FFF1B5 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make buttermilk lighter or darker?
To lighten buttermilk, 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 #FFFDF5 (lightest tint) to #473A00 (darkest shade).
About Buttermilk
Buttermilk is classified as a Yellow in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Yellow hue family. It has The color is recognized by Resene.
Use our Color Converter to convert #FFF1B5 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.