#B9ABA5
Closest named color: Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9). oklch(75.1% 0.018 44.7), rgb(185, 171, 165).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.43:1).
About this color
#B9ABA5 is a medium-light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.018. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.43:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.018) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9) |
| Black text | 9.43:1 |
| White text | 2.22:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9ABA5 |
| RGB | rgb(185, 171, 165) |
| HSL | hsl(18, 12%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.1% 0.018 44.7) |
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 #B9ABA5 | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc -48.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #B9ABA5 | 9.43:1 | AAA | Lc 60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9ABA5 text on white | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc 43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9ABA5 text on black | 9.43:1 | AAA | Lc -58.3 | 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
#F6F5F4
oklch(97.1% 0.002 67.8)
-
Step 100
100
#ECE9E8
oklch(93.6% 0.004 39.5)
-
Step 200
200
#DDD8D6
oklch(88.6% 0.006 43.3)
-
Step 300
300
#C7BEBB
oklch(80.8% 0.011 39.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#B9ABA5
oklch(75.1% 0.018 44.7)
-
Step 500
500
#96857E
oklch(63% 0.023 43.7)
-
Step 600
600
#816F67
oklch(55.6% 0.026 45.4)
-
Step 700
700
#6D5D56
oklch(49.2% 0.024 45)
-
Step 800
800
#594C46
oklch(42.8% 0.02 46.3)
-
Step 900
900
#493F3B
oklch(37.7% 0.015 43.1)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2523
oklch(27% 0.01 39.3)
#B9ABA5 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) | #AEACA5 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B2AFA5 | 0.014 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #BDA9A9 | 0.011 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.018 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9ABA5
#B9ABA5
oklch(75.1% 0.018 44.7)
- #A3B1B7
#A3B1B7
oklch(75.1% 0.018 225.3)
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 #B9ABA5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.024
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.025
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.037
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.039
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.041
- Mushroom #BA9E88 ΔE 0.043
- Cement #A5A391 ΔE 0.045
- Stone #ADA587 ΔE 0.046
Use #B9ABA5 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.