Amber
A yellow-orange colour named after fossilised tree resin
Amber is a colour that sits between yellow and orange on the colour wheel, named after the fossilised tree resin known as amber. It covers a range of yellow-orange hues and is formally defined for uses such as vehicle lights and stage lighting. The name first appeared as a colour in English in 1500.
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- Amber sits between yellow and orange on the colour wheel
- Named after fossilised tree resin called amber
- Used in traffic lights and vehicle turn signals worldwide
- First recorded as a colour name in English in 1500
- A standard colour for stage lighting and some sports teams
What colour is Amber?
Amber is a colour found halfway between yellow and orange. It takes its name from the fossilised tree resin, which is often seen in shades ranging from yellow to brownish-red. As a colour, amber is used to describe a range of yellow-orange tones. It is vivid and distinct from both pure yellow and pure orange, and is often used where a clear, warm signal is needed.
Where does Amber come from?
The word 'amber' comes from the fossilised resin, which has been valued for its colour and beauty. The first time 'amber' was used to describe a colour in English was in 1500. The colour draws on the typical hues of the material, which can vary but are most often yellow-orange.
How Amber is defined
Amber as a colour is defined in technical standards for uses like vehicle lights. In lighting, amber LEDs emit light at wavelengths around 590 nanometres. The colour can be shown on screens using RGB or CMYK systems, but the purest technical amber cannot be exactly matched in sRGB, so an approximation is used.
Where Amber is used
Amber is widely used in traffic lights and vehicle turn signals, where it signals caution or change. It is also a standard colour in stage lighting, often called 'bastard amber'. In sport, several football and Gaelic games teams wear amber in their kits. The famous Amber Room in Russia was decorated with panels of the resin itself.
Orange around the world
What the orange family means from country to country.
The lowest band of the flag is orange, often called apricot, after the national fruit. The constitution says it stands for the creative talent and hard work of the people.
Politics and protestNature and renewalPrideSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is split corner to corner. The orange half stands for the Buddhist tradition, and the white dragon across the middle for purity.
Sacred and holySource: Flag of BhutanOn 30 September people wear orange shirts to remember the children sent to residential schools. Phyllis Webstad's new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at one.
Mourning and deathPolitics and protestGriefSource: National Day for Truth and ReconciliationOrange is also the colour of the New Democratic Party. Its sweep of Quebec seats in the 2011 election was called the Orange Wave.
Politics and protestSource: New Democratic PartyThe flag shows the island in copper orange on white. The colour recalls copper, which was mined here in ancient times and may have taken its name from Cyprus.
Politics and protestNature and renewalSource: Flag of CyprusThe orange stripe of the flag stands for Protestants, the followers of William of Orange. In Northern Ireland the Orange Order still marches each 12 July in orange sashes.
Politics and protestSource: Orange OrderShades and relatives of Amber
Amber covers a range of yellow-orange shades. In technical standards, it is distinct from 'selective yellow', which is used in some vehicle headlamps. The term 'yellow amber' is used in some standards, but in everyday use, 'amber' refers to the whole range between yellow and orange.
Colours that go with Amber
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FFBF00. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Amber
What colour is amber?
Amber is a yellow-orange colour, found midway between yellow and orange on the colour wheel. It covers a range of warm, vivid hues.
Where does the name 'amber' come from?
The name comes from the fossilised tree resin called amber, which is often yellow-orange in colour. The term was first used for the colour in English in 1500.
Where is amber used?
Amber is used in traffic lights and vehicle turn signals, stage lighting, and in the kits of some sports teams. It is also seen in interior decoration, such as the Amber Room.
Is amber the same as yellow or orange?
Amber is distinct from both yellow and orange, sitting between them on the colour wheel. Technical standards define it as a specific range of yellow-orange hues.
Good reading and sources
- Amber (color) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Amber (color)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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