Showa era
Cinnamon Rufous & Dark Citrine
Plate 10 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Cinnamon Rufous, Dark Citrine.
#8b835b
yellow · 4 palettes
Dark Citrine
About Dark Citrine
Dark Citrine is a mid-tone, near-neutral yellow tone. Its hex value is #8b835b — that is
RGB 139, 131, 91, or HSL 50°, 21%, 45%.
It holds 5.5:1 contrast against dark, so Dark Citrine works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 3.8:1; on black 5.5:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Dark Citrine appears in 4 combinations — most often paired with Cinnamon Rufous, Calamine BLue and Peach Red.
Colours that go with Dark Citrine
From a standard colour wheel, Dark Citrine anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#8b835b #5B638B
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#8b835b #8B6B5B #7B8B5B
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#8b835b #5B8B83 #835B8B
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#8b835b #5B7B8B #6B5B8B
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Dark Citrine
Dark Citrine is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 50°, 21%, 45%), 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 (5.5:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#5B638B) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#8B6B5B and #7B8B5B) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Dark Citrine 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.
-
...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.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
See price on Amazon -
...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
ColorChecker Passport Photo 2
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
See price on Amazon -
...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
Amazon Associates affiliate links — your price is unchanged and a small commission keeps the archive free. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Palettes with Dark Citrine
Dark Citrine appears in 4 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 Dark Citrine
- What is the hex code for Dark Citrine?
- Dark Citrine is #8b835b. It appears in 4 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Dark Citrine look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Dark Citrine (#8b835b) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 3.82:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 5.50:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Dark Citrine come from?
- Dark Citrine 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 Dark Citrine in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#8b835b) 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
- Figma design tokens (W3C-spec JSON, drag into any file)
- Tailwind v4 + v3 configs — drop into any project
- CSS custom properties — every plate, one stylesheet
- 378 SVG plates (348 Wada + 30 editorial) — print-ready at any size
- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
See what's inside
Launching soon. The free archive stays free, always.