#B5BCAE
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.6% 0.021 128.8), rgb(181, 188, 174).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.76:1).
About this color
#B5BCAE is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.021. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.76:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.021) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.76:1 |
| White text | 1.94:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B5BCAE |
| RGB | rgb(181, 188, 174) |
| HSL | hsl(90, 9%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.6% 0.021 128.8) |
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 #B5BCAE | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc -41.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #B5BCAE | 10.76:1 | AAA | Lc 66.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B5BCAE text on white | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc 37.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B5BCAE text on black | 10.76:1 | AAA | Lc -64.9 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F5F6F4
oklch(97.2% 0.003 128.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E8EBE6
oklch(93.6% 0.007 132.4)
-
Step 200
200
#D7DBD3
oklch(88.6% 0.012 128.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#B5BCAE
oklch(78.6% 0.021 128.8)
-
Step 400
400
#9AA58F
oklch(70.7% 0.034 129)
-
Step 500
500
#828F73
oklch(63.2% 0.043 127.9)
-
Step 600
600
#6B795C
oklch(55.6% 0.046 128.8)
-
Step 700
700
#59664C
oklch(49.2% 0.043 129.5)
-
Step 800
800
#49533E
oklch(42.7% 0.036 128.6)
-
Step 900
900
#3D4535
oklch(37.8% 0.028 129.3)
-
Step 950
950
#24281F
oklch(27% 0.017 127.1)
#B5BCAE 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) | #BEBAAD | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDB9AF | 0.014 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B6BBB8 | 0.015 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.021 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B5BCAE
#B5BCAE
oklch(78.6% 0.021 128.8)
- #BDB6C4
#BDB6C4
oklch(78.6% 0.021 308.2)
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 #B5BCAE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.030
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.035
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.037
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.047
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.050
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.054
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.055
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.058
Use #B5BCAE 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.