Alligator
Alligator is a highly saturated, near pure yellow shade with RGB(136, 102, 0) and hex code #886600, reading as dark at a glance.
HEX
#886600
RGB
136, 102, 0
HSL
45°, 100%, 27%
CMYK
0%, 25%, 100%, 47%
LAB
45, 6, 52
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Description
- •Alligator (#886600) is a warm-toned yellow color defined by RGB values of 136, 102, 0 and HSL values of 45 degrees hue, 100% saturation, and 27% lightness. At 27% lightness it appears dark, and its highly saturated, near pure character makes it suitable as a strong accent or brand color. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #002288 for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #668800 and #882200 for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a yellow shade, Alligator tends to carry the general associations of that hue family: optimism, caution, and energy. Yellow reflects the most visible light of any hue to the human eye, which is why it is used heavily for warning signs and attention-grabbing accents.
Hue family
yellow
Saturation level
highly saturated, near pure
Lightness level
dark
Temperature
warm
Because Alligator is highly saturated, near pure and dark, it tends to feel bold and attention-grabbing in a design context.
Meaning
Within the yellow family, colors like Alligator are commonly associated with optimism, caution, and energy, though exact interpretation depends on cultural context and surrounding design elements.
Hue family
yellow
Common associations
optimism, caution, and energy
Temperature
warm
History
- 1Alligator is a named point in a modern digital color palette rather than a documented historical pigment, but the yellow family it belongs to has a long design history. Yellow reflects the most visible light of any hue to the human eye, which is why it is used heavily for warning signs and attention-grabbing accents.
Color info
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Visual perception
- At HSL(45, 100%, 27%), Alligator has a relative luminance of about 0.15 on a 0-1 scale, which generally poses low risk for common color vision deficiencies, though pairing with sufficient lightness contrast is still recommended.
Technology specific
- Alligator (#886600) renders consistently on standard sRGB displays; on wider-gamut or uncalibrated screens, expect minor shifts in perceived saturation. For print reproduction, convert from RGB to CMYK and proof physically, since highly saturated colors like this can shift noticeably between screen and print.
Guidance
Use Alligator with white text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 5.3:1). Reserve it for smaller accent areas rather than large backgrounds since high saturation can overwhelm at scale.
Examples
web design
call-to-action buttons
branding
logo accent color
UI design
alert or highlight states
spot color for emphasis
Purpose
Alligator works well for accent elements, buttons, and calls-to-action that need to stand out, given its highly saturated, near pure and dark profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with white text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 5.3:1
palette flexibility
combines with #002288 (complementary) and #008866/#660088 (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as bold and energetic across most screens