Yellow
A primary colour between green and orange, seen in sunlight, leaves, and pigments
Yellow sits between green and orange in the spectrum, with light at about 575–585 nm. It is a primary colour in painting and printing, and a secondary colour on screens. Yellow is found in autumn leaves, flowers, and fruits, and has been used in art since prehistoric times. Its meanings and uses vary widely across cultures.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Yellow ochre was used in art 17,000 years ago at Lascaux.
- Yellow is a primary colour in painting and printing.
- In China, bright yellow was once reserved for the emperor.
- Yellow is found in daffodils, lemons, and autumn leaves.
- Its name is related to the word for gold.
What colour is Yellow?
Yellow is the colour you see between green and orange on the spectrum of visible light. It is made by light with a wavelength of about 575 to 585 nanometres. In nature, yellow is found in autumn leaves, daffodils, lemons, and bananas. It is a primary colour in painting and printing, and a secondary colour on screens. Yellow stands out for its brightness and is often one of the first colours noticed in a scene.
Where does Yellow come from?
The English word 'yellow' comes from Old English 'geolu', related to words in other Germanic languages like German 'gelb' and Dutch 'geel'. Its root links to the words for gold and to cry out, both hinting at brightness. The first known use in English dates to around the year 700. Yellow pigments such as ochre have been used in art since prehistoric times, with a yellow horse painted in Lascaux cave about 17,000 years ago.
How Yellow is defined
In painting and printing, yellow is a primary colour. In printing, a standard called process yellow is used, though its exact shade can vary with the ink. On screens, yellow is made by mixing red and green light at equal intensity. In nature, yellow comes from pigments called carotenoids, found in many plants and animals, and from minerals like ochre and orpiment in traditional pigments.
Where Yellow is used
Yellow ochre was one of the first pigments used by humans, seen in ancient cave art and Egyptian tombs. It has been used to represent gold and skin in murals and paintings. In China, bright yellow was reserved for the emperor and his household. Today, yellow is used in art, textiles, architecture, printing, and digital screens, and appears on many national flags and uniforms.
What Yellow means
Yellow has many meanings depending on culture. In China and several Asian countries, it stands for royalty, respect, happiness, and wisdom. In early Christianity, it was linked to the Pope but also to heretics. In the United States, it can mean happiness but also cowardice. In Iran, it suggests both sickness and wisdom. In Europe and North America, people often associate yellow with joy and amusement.
How Yellow feels
Our sources tie Yellow to joy, envy. Such links differ from one culture to the next.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
Many First Nations use the medicine wheel, a circle in four parts. A common form has yellow, red, black and white quarters for the four directions, though the colours vary between nations.
Sacred and holySource: Medicine wheel (symbol)Yellow was the emperor's colour. Under the Ming and Qing dynasties bright yellow robes and yellow glazed roof tiles, as on the Forbidden City, were reserved for him.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Color in Chinese cultureFrom late 2018, protesters against fuel taxes and living costs wore the yellow high-visibility vests that every driver must carry. They became known as the gilets jaunes.
Politics and protestAngerSource: Yellow vests protestsThe leader of the Tour de France wears the yellow jersey. It was introduced in 1919 and matches the yellow paper of L'Auto, the newspaper that ran the race.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: General classification in the Tour de FranceA 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 yellowShades and relatives of Yellow
Yellow has many shades and related colours, including canary yellow, process yellow, and pigment yellow. Its complementary colour is usually purple or blue-violet, depending on the colour wheel. Painters and scientists have debated its exact complement, with some naming indigo or blue-violet. In printing and on screens, the precise shade of yellow can vary.
Colours that go with Yellow
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FFFF00. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Yellow
What colour is yellow?
Yellow is the colour between green and orange on the spectrum, seen at wavelengths around 575–585 nm. It is bright and often found in flowers, fruits, and sunlight.
Where does the name 'yellow' come from?
The word 'yellow' comes from Old English 'geolu', which is related to words in other Germanic languages. Its root is linked to the words for gold and brightness.
How is yellow made in painting and printing?
Yellow is a primary colour in painting and printing. In printing, a standard called process yellow is used, though its shade can vary with the ink.
What does yellow mean in different cultures?
In China, yellow is linked to royalty and happiness. In the United States, it can mean happiness or cowardice. In Iran, it suggests both sickness and wisdom. In Europe and North America, it is often tied to joy and amusement.
Where is yellow seen in nature?
Yellow is found in autumn leaves, daffodils, lemons, bananas, egg yolks, and many other plants and animals. It comes from pigments called carotenoids.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "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.
More of the yellow family
All of yellow
Yellow
Orpiment
A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarityPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
Yellow
Tartrazine
A synthetic lemon yellow dye widely used in food, cosmetics and medicinesDye
#E49B0F
Gamboge
A strong yellow pigment tapped from Southeast Asian treesPigment · 🇰🇭 Cambodia +5
#FFA700
Chrome yellow
A bright yellow pigment made from lead chromate, once popular in art and industryPigment
#FADA5E
Naples yellow
A historic synthetic yellow pigment once prized by painters and pottersPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +1
#E3A857
Indian Yellow
A clear, glowing orange-yellow pigment once made in India from cow urinePigment · 🇮🇳 India
#006B3C
Cadmium pigments
A family of strong yellow, orange, red and green pigments made from cadmium compoundsPigment
Yellow
Cadmium sulfide
A bright yellow pigment and semiconductor compound made from cadmium and sulfurPigment
More colours tied to France
The colours of France
#800080
Purple
A cool colour between red and blue, long linked with royalty and rarityBasic colour · 🇱🇧 Lebanon +5
#FF00FF
Magenta
A purplish-pink colour named after a battle and key to modern printingNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +4
Brown
Terracotta
A clay-based material and colour, known for its reddish-brown toneColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +4
Blue
Azurite
A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment · 🇫🇷 France +5