#B9BCAD
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.9% 0.021 116.1), rgb(185, 188, 173).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.85:1).
About this color
#B9BCAD 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 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.85:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.021) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.85:1 |
| White text | 1.93:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9BCAD |
| RGB | rgb(185, 188, 173) |
| HSL | hsl(72, 10%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.9% 0.021 116.1) |
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 #B9BCAD | 1.93:1 | Fails | Lc -41.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #B9BCAD | 10.85:1 | AAA | Lc 66.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9BCAD text on white | 1.93:1 | Fails | Lc 37.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9BCAD text on black | 10.85:1 | AAA | Lc -65.4 | 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
#F5F6F3
oklch(97.2% 0.004 121.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E9EAE6
oklch(93.5% 0.005 117.9)
-
Step 200
200
#D8DAD2
oklch(88.5% 0.011 118)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#B9BCAD
oklch(78.9% 0.021 116.1)
-
Step 400
400
#9FA48C
oklch(70.8% 0.034 116.8)
-
Step 500
500
#888D70
oklch(63.1% 0.042 115.6)
-
Step 600
600
#727758
oklch(55.6% 0.046 115.4)
-
Step 700
700
#5F6448
oklch(49.1% 0.043 116.2)
-
Step 800
800
#4E523B
oklch(42.8% 0.037 116)
-
Step 900
900
#414433
oklch(37.9% 0.028 115.9)
-
Step 950
950
#26281E
oklch(27.1% 0.018 116.8)
#B9BCAD 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) | #BEBAAC | 0.008 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BEBAAE | 0.009 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #BBBAB8 | 0.019 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.021 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9BCAD
#B9BCAD
oklch(78.9% 0.021 116.1)
- #BBB8C6
#BBB8C6
oklch(78.9% 0.02 295.8)
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 #B9BCAD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.028
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.035
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.038
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.044
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.049
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.050
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.058
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.059
Use #B9BCAD 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.