Lemon chiffon
A pale yellow web colour named after a light, airy cake
Lemon chiffon is a very light yellow colour, close to beige, used in web design. Its name comes from the lemon chiffon cake, a dessert known for its pale yellow shade and airy texture. The colour was first defined for computers in 1987 and became part of the standard web palette.
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- Lemon chiffon is a web colour with the code #FFFACD.
- It was first named as a colour in 1987 for computer use.
- The shade is inspired by the pale yellow of lemon chiffon cake.
- It is used mainly for backgrounds in web design.
What colour is Lemon chiffon?
Lemon chiffon is a very pale yellow shade, lighter than most yellows and close to beige. It stands out for its soft, creamy appearance, which makes it gentle on the eyes when used as a background colour on screens. The colour is named after the lemon chiffon cake, which has a similar light yellow look.
Where does Lemon chiffon come from?
The name 'lemon chiffon' comes from a cake invented in Los Angeles in the 1920s. The cake is known for its airy texture and pale yellow colour, which inspired the name for this shade. As a colour, lemon chiffon was first defined for computers in 1987 as part of the X11 colour system, and later became a standard web colour.
How Lemon chiffon is defined
Lemon chiffon as a web colour is defined by its digital code, #FFFACD. It is not made from any physical substance but is a standard value in computer graphics, created by mixing high amounts of red and green with a little blue in the RGB system.
Where Lemon chiffon is used
Lemon chiffon is mainly used in web and digital design. Its soft, light tone makes it popular for backgrounds and highlights on websites, where a gentle yellow is wanted without the brightness of pure yellow. It is not tied to any traditional use in art or textiles.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
A yellow ribbon tied round a tree or pinned to a coat means someone is waiting for a loved one to come home. It spread during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 to 1981.
Protection and healingLove and desireHopeSource: Yellow ribbonSchool buses across the country are painted one shade of yellow, agreed at a conference in 1939 because black lettering on it is easy to read in early morning light.
Protection and healingSource: School bus yellowThe 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 Lemon chiffon
Lemon chiffon is related to other pale yellows and beiges in the web palette. It is lighter than standard yellow and softer than cream. It can sometimes be confused with other light yellow web colours, but its digital code keeps it distinct.
Colours that go with Lemon chiffon
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FFFACD. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Lemon chiffon
What colour is lemon chiffon?
Lemon chiffon is a very pale yellow, close to beige. It is lighter and softer than standard yellow, and is mainly seen in web and digital design.
Where does the name lemon chiffon come from?
The name comes from lemon chiffon cake, a light and airy dessert with a pale yellow colour. The cake was invented in Los Angeles in the 1920s.
When did lemon chiffon become a colour?
Lemon chiffon was first defined as a colour for computers in 1987, as part of the X11 colour system. It later became a standard web colour.
Is lemon chiffon made from any natural material?
No, as a web colour, lemon chiffon is defined by its digital code and is not made from any physical substance.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Lemon chiffon", 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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