#856238
Closest named color: Dirt Brown (#836539). oklch(52.3% 0.074 70.1), rgb(133, 98, 56).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (5.52:1).
About this color
#856238 is a medium-dark, moderately saturated brown. In OKLCH its lightness is 52%, its chroma 0.074 and its hue 70°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dirt Brown (#836539), ΔE 0.008 away. White text reads best on it, at 5.52:1.
| Hue family | Browns |
| Lightness | medium-dark (52%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.074) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Dirt Brown (#836539) |
| Black text | 3.80:1 |
| White text | 5.52:1 |
Values
| HEX | #856238 |
| RGB | rgb(133, 98, 56) |
| HSL | hsl(33, 41%, 37%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(52.3% 0.074 70.1) |
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 #856238 | 5.52:1 | AA | Lc -82.8 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #856238 | 3.80:1 | AA large text | Lc 26.6 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #856238 text on white | 5.52:1 | AA | Lc 77.5 | Fine for body text |
| #856238 text on black | 3.80:1 | AA large text | Lc -24.3 | Dividers and decoration only |
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 700.
-
Step 50
50
#F8F5F2
oklch(97.2% 0.005 67.8)
-
Step 100
100
#EEE9E3
oklch(93.6% 0.01 72.7)
-
Step 200
200
#E2D7CB
oklch(88.5% 0.02 70)
-
Step 300
300
#D0BDA8
oklch(80.9% 0.036 70.1)
-
Step 400
400
#B89B7A
oklch(70.7% 0.057 70.3)
-
Step 500
500
#A68258
oklch(63.1% 0.073 70.2)
-
Step 600
600
#916B3D
oklch(55.6% 0.079 70.3)
-
Step 700
700 (this color)
#856238
oklch(52.3% 0.074 70.1)
-
Step 800
800
#644928
oklch(42.7% 0.06 70.5)
-
Step 900
900
#523D25
oklch(37.7% 0.047 69.3)
-
Step 950
950
#302416
oklch(27% 0.03 70.3)
#856238 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) | #6E6434 | 0.041 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #766C39 | 0.036 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #905A58 | 0.059 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #696969 | 0.074 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #856238
#856238
oklch(52.3% 0.074 70.1)
- #486D93
#486D93
oklch(52.3% 0.074 250)
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 #856238, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dirt Brown #836539 ΔE 0.008
- Cocoa #875F42 ΔE 0.018
- Dark Taupe #7F684E ΔE 0.027
- Sepia #985E2B ΔE 0.034
- Dirt #8A6E45 ΔE 0.035
- Dull Brown #876E4B ΔE 0.035
- Grey Brown #7F7053 ΔE 0.042
- Muddy Brown #886806 ΔE 0.044
Use #856238 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.