Showa era
Vinaceous Tawny & Citron Yellow
Plate 40 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Vinaceous Tawny, Citron Yellow.
#b2b73e
yellow · 8 palettes
Citron Yellow
About Citron Yellow
Citron Yellow is a mid-tone, muted yellow tone. Its hex value is #b2b73e — that is
RGB 178, 183, 62, or HSL 62°, 49%, 48%.
It holds 9.7:1 contrast against dark, so Citron Yellow works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.2:1; on black 9.7:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Citron Yellow appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with Vinaceous Tawny, Corinthian Pink and Brown.
Colours that go with Citron Yellow
From a standard colour wheel, Citron Yellow anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#b2b73e #433EB7
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#b2b73e #B7803E #76B73E
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#b2b73e #3EB2B7 #B73EB2
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#b2b73e #3E75B7 #803EB7
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Citron Yellow
Citron Yellow is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 62°, 49%, 48%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (9.7:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#433EB7) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#B7803E and #76B73E) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Citron Yellow off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 36
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
See price on Amazon
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Palettes with Citron Yellow
Citron Yellow appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Citron Yellow
- What is the hex code for Citron Yellow?
- Citron Yellow is #b2b73e. It appears in 8 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Citron Yellow look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Citron Yellow (#b2b73e) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 2.16:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 9.74:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Citron Yellow come from?
- Citron Yellow is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued yellow pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Citron Yellow in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#b2b73e) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.
- All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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