Aqua vs Saffron — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Aquanearest vs Saffronnearest

#3AEDFA · #FFCA5F

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 1/100 (fail) · Harmony 96/100 (split-complementary) · Distinguishable 100/100 (easy to tell apart) · Match 0/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.

Readability1Fail

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fail1.1:1

Harmony96Split-complementary

Split-complementary

144° apart

Distinguishable100Easy to tell apart

normal

colorblind

ΔE 91

Match0Different

ΔE 91 — different

How different are Aqua and Saffron?

Aqua and Saffron are very different (ΔE 91). They have distinctly different hues (144° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Aqua text on Saffron: 1.06:1 (Fail); Saffron text on Aqua: 1.06:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #00656C clears it.

Common questions

Do Aqua and Saffron go well together?

Split-complementary — split-complementary — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 96/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Aqua readable as text on Saffron?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.1:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #00656C clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Aqua and Saffron?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 91 — very different.

Are Aqua and Saffron the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 91).

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