#281B1D
Closest named color: Jet (#212529). oklch(23.9% 0.021 8.5), rgb(40, 27, 29).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (16.60:1).
About this color
#281B1D is a very dark close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 24%, its chroma 0.021. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Jet (#212529), ΔE 0.035 away. White text reads best on it, at 16.60:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | very dark (24%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.021) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Jet (#212529) |
| Black text | 1.26:1 |
| White text | 16.60:1 |
Values
| HEX | #281B1D |
| RGB | rgb(40, 27, 29) |
| HSL | hsl(351, 19%, 13%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(23.9% 0.021 8.5) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #281B1D | 16.60:1 | AAA | Lc -106.0 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #281B1D | 1.26:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #281B1D text on white | 16.60:1 | AAA | Lc 103.5 | Preferred for body text |
| #281B1D text on black | 1.26:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 950.
-
Step 50
50
#F8F4F5
oklch(97.1% 0.004 360)
-
Step 100
100
#EEE8E9
oklch(93.6% 0.007 5.6)
-
Step 200
200
#E2D6D7
oklch(88.6% 0.013 11.6)
-
Step 300
300
#D0BABD
oklch(80.8% 0.025 8.3)
-
Step 400
400
#B8979B
oklch(70.8% 0.04 9.9)
-
Step 500
500
#A57D83
oklch(63% 0.05 8.6)
-
Step 600
600
#90666D
oklch(55.6% 0.055 8)
-
Step 700
700
#7B555B
oklch(49.2% 0.051 8.7)
-
Step 800
800
#64454A
oklch(42.6% 0.043 8.4)
-
Step 900
900
#513A3E
oklch(37.6% 0.033 7.2)
-
Step 950
950 (this color)
#281B1D
oklch(23.9% 0.021 8.5)
#281B1D with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #1D1D1D | 0.023 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #201F1D | 0.020 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #2A1A1C | 0.005 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #1E1E1E | 0.021 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #281B1D
#281B1D
oklch(23.9% 0.021 8.5)
- #132221
#132221
oklch(23.8% 0.021 190.6)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #281B1D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Jet #212529 ΔE 0.035
- Dark #1B2431 ΔE 0.044
- Dark Brown #341C02 ΔE 0.048
- Rich Black #0D1B2A ΔE 0.053
- Oxford Blue #1B263B ΔE 0.060
- Chocolate Brown #411900 ΔE 0.065
- Dark Maroon #3C0008 ΔE 0.072
- Deep Brown #410200 ΔE 0.075
Use #281B1D in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.