Arylide yellow
A family of semi-transparent yellow pigments used in art and industry
Arylide yellow is a group of organic pigments ranging from orange-yellow to yellow-green. First discovered in Germany in 1909, these pigments are used in paints, plastics, inks, and artists’ colours, and have partly replaced cadmium yellow due to lower toxicity.
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- Discovered in Germany in 1909
- Ranges from orange-yellow to yellow-green
- Used in plastics, paints, and artists’ colours
- Safer replacement for cadmium yellow
- Used by artists like Calder and Pollock
What colour is Arylide yellow?
Arylide yellow is a synthetic pigment family that covers shades from orange-yellow to yellow-green. These pigments are usually semi-transparent, which means they let some light through and can be layered in painting. They are known for their use both in industrial products like plastics and paints, and in artists’ materials such as oil, acrylic, and watercolour paints. The colour is bright and clean, and it is often chosen as a safer alternative to cadmium yellow.
Where does Arylide yellow come from?
The arylide yellow pigments were first discovered in Germany in 1909. Their name comes from their chemical structure, which includes an aryl group (a type of organic ring) and the yellow colour they produce. The term 'Hansa yellow' is also used, especially in artists’ paints. The pigments are made through a process called azo coupling, which joins aniline and acetoacetanilide or similar chemicals.
How is Arylide yellow made?
Arylide yellow pigments are made by a chemical reaction called azo coupling. This process combines aniline with acetoacetanilide or their derivatives. Depending on the exact chemicals used, different shades and properties can be achieved. Some examples include Pigment Yellow 3, 6, 61, 74, and 97, each with slightly different sources and resulting hues. The pigments are synthetic and do not occur naturally.
Where Arylide yellow is used
These pigments are widely used in both industry and art. They colour plastics, building paints, and printing inks, and are also common in oil, acrylic, and watercolour paints for artists. Their semi-transparent quality makes them useful for layering and glazing in painting. Notable artists such as Alexander Calder and Jackson Pollock have used arylide yellow in their works. The pigments have largely replaced cadmium yellow in many applications due to safety concerns.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
Yellow is the colour of the liberal Free Democrats. To be "yellow with envy", gelb vor Neid, is the usual German phrase where English says green.
Politics and protestSource: Free Democratic PartyPeople wear yellow for Vasant Panchami, the spring festival of the goddess Saraswati. Before many weddings, turmeric paste is rubbed on the bride and groom in the haldi ceremony.
Sacred and holyFestival and celebrationWeddings and marriageJoySource: Vasant PanchamiThe yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersShades and relatives of Arylide yellow
Arylide yellow pigments come in several types, each with a slightly different shade. For example, Hansa Yellow Light (PY3) is a lemon yellow, while Hansa Yellow Deep (PY65) is a deeper, more orange shade. Some variants, like Pigment Yellow 74, appear more greenish-yellow. Related pigments include diarylide yellows, which are also synthetic organic colours.
Colours that go with Arylide yellow
Harmonies are worked out from the value #E9D66B. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Arylide yellow
What colour is arylide yellow?
Arylide yellow covers a range from orange-yellow to yellow-green. It is a bright, semi-transparent yellow used in many paints and products.
Where does the name arylide yellow come from?
The name comes from the pigment’s chemical structure, which includes an aryl group, and its yellow colour. It is also known as Hansa yellow.
How is arylide yellow made?
It is made by a chemical process called azo coupling, which joins aniline and acetoacetanilide or similar chemicals to produce the pigment.
What is arylide yellow used for?
It is used to colour plastics, building paints, printing inks, and artists’ paints such as oil, acrylic, and watercolour.
Why is arylide yellow important?
It has largely replaced cadmium yellow in many uses because it is less toxic, and it is favoured by artists for its clean, bright colour.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Arylide yellow", 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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