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Imperial Yellow 314
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Saturated yellow (a color, not a neutral)
In CIELAB, Imperial Yellow sits at L* 82.5, a* 8.1, b* 63.9. Its hue angle is 83° and its chroma is 64.4, so it reads as an outright yellow rather than a neutral. It classifies as warm. Among Benjamin Moore colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 96%.
LRV 57.9: light
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 57.9, Imperial Yellow is lighter than 63% of Benjamin Moore colors. The most forgiving range for whole-house walls. Keeps rooms bright without glare.
Closest Sherwin-Williams match to Imperial Yellow
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayo de Sol | SW 9020 | 1.82 | Very close | |
| Decisive Yellow | SW 6902 | 2.62 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Butterfield | SW 6676 | 3.16 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Imperial Yellow
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickadee | 350B-7 | 1.15 | Very close | |
| Smiley Face | P260-6 | 2.03 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Little Sun Dress | P280-5 | 2.21 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happily Ever After | 173 | 2.16 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Luminous Days | 300 | 2.65 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Oxford Gold | 315 | 3.17 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Nacho Cheese | 2018-40 | 3.21 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Corn Husk | 307 | 3.43 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Firefly | 299 | 3.70 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Benjamin Moore with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Sunny Days 172 · lighter, LRV 64.0
- Viking Yellow 321 · lighter, LRV 63.1
- Golden Groves 313 · lighter, LRV 62.6
- Corn Husk 307 · darker, LRV 53.3
- Luminous Days 300 · darker, LRV 52.4
- Citrus Blast 2018-30 · darker, LRV 51.7
Colors that go with Imperial Yellow
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Benjamin Moore color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- True Blue 2066-50 · complementary (180°)
- Butterfly Wings 090 · analogous (−30°)
- Electric Slide 404 · analogous (+30°)
- Tropicana Cabana 2048-50 · triadic (120°)
- Pretty Pink 2077-50 · triadic (240°)
Imperial Yellow vs popular colors
- Natural (Benjamin Moore ES-10, ΔE 9.5) is darker (LRV 45.7 vs 57.9), more blue/cool, more red/pink, more muted.
- Concord Ivory (Benjamin Moore HC-12, ΔE 9.8) is lighter (LRV 60.0 vs 57.9), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Hawthorne Yellow (Benjamin Moore HC-4, ΔE 12.6) is lighter (LRV 71.3 vs 57.9), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.