Colors that go with yellow
Yellow is optimistic and attention-grabbing, but pale yellows are hard to use for text. Here are palettes that pair well with yellow, with hex codes you can copy.
Yellow + purple (complementary)
Maximum contrast.
Mustard + navy
Confident and grown-up.
Yellow + grey
Pantone’s 2021 pairing, industrial.
Lemon + teal
Fresh and tropical.
Find matches for your exact shade of yellow
Why these combinations work
Yellow (#EAB308, hsl(45 93% 47%)) sits at hue 45° on the RGB color wheel. Its complement at 225° gives maximum contrast, neighbours within 30° give harmony, and neutrals tinted toward yellow tie everything together. Whatever you choose, keep text at 4.5:1 against its background — check it in the contrast checker.
Frequently asked questions
What colors go with yellow?
Purple and violet are complements. Navy, grey, charcoal, teal and white all balance yellow.
Can I use yellow text on white?
Almost never: most yellows are below 2:1 against white. Use yellow as a background with dark text instead.