#9DB3AD
Closest named color: Dark Gray (#A9A9A9). oklch(74.8% 0.026 177.4), rgb(157, 179, 173).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.48:1).
About this color
#9DB3AD is a medium-light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.026. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Dark Gray (#A9A9A9), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.48:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.026) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Dark Gray (#A9A9A9) |
| Black text | 9.48:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9DB3AD |
| RGB | rgb(157, 179, 173) |
| HSL | hsl(164, 13%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.8% 0.026 177.4) |
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 #9DB3AD | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9DB3AD | 9.48:1 | AAA | Lc 60.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9DB3AD text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9DB3AD text on black | 9.48:1 | AAA | Lc -58.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F4F6F5
oklch(97.1% 0.002 165.1)
-
Step 100
100
#E7EBEA
oklch(93.7% 0.004 179.7)
-
Step 200
200
#D3DBD9
oklch(88.5% 0.009 179.6)
-
Step 300
300
#B6C4C0
oklch(80.8% 0.016 177)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9DB3AD
oklch(74.8% 0.026 177.4)
-
Step 500
500
#759089
oklch(63% 0.032 177.7)
-
Step 600
600
#5D7A73
oklch(55.5% 0.035 178.5)
-
Step 700
700
#4D6760
oklch(49.1% 0.033 176.5)
-
Step 800
800
#3F544F
oklch(42.7% 0.027 178.7)
-
Step 900
900
#364541
oklch(37.6% 0.02 177.1)
-
Step 950
950
#202926
oklch(27.1% 0.014 173)
#9DB3AD 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) | #B1B0AD | 0.027 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #ADADAD | 0.026 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #98B4B1 | 0.008 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.026 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9DB3AD
#9DB3AD
oklch(74.8% 0.026 177.4)
- #BCA7AD
#BCA7AD
oklch(74.8% 0.026 358.5)
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 #9DB3AD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.029
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.033
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.033
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.039
- Muted Teal #90B494 ΔE 0.042
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.045
- Cement #A5A391 ΔE 0.048
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.049
Use #9DB3AD 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.