#BDB1BD
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(77.4% 0.021 325.8), rgb(189, 177, 189).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.18:1).
About this color
#BDB1BD is a medium-light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.021. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.18:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.021) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 10.18:1 |
| White text | 2.06:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB1BD |
| RGB | rgb(189, 177, 189) |
| HSL | hsl(300, 8%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.4% 0.021 325.8) |
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 #BDB1BD | 2.06:1 | Fails | Lc -44.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB1BD | 10.18:1 | AAA | Lc 63.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB1BD text on white | 2.06:1 | Fails | Lc 40.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB1BD text on black | 10.18:1 | AAA | Lc -62.1 | 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
#F6F5F6
oklch(97.1% 0.002 325.6)
-
Step 100
100
#ECE8EC
oklch(93.5% 0.007 325.6)
-
Step 200
200
#DDD6DD
oklch(88.4% 0.012 325.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB1BD
oklch(77.4% 0.021 325.8)
-
Step 400
400
#AC9AAC
oklch(70.8% 0.033 325.9)
-
Step 500
500
#988198
oklch(63.2% 0.043 326.1)
-
Step 600
600
#826A83
oklch(55.6% 0.048 324.9)
-
Step 700
700
#6E586E
oklch(49% 0.044 326.2)
-
Step 800
800
#5A485A
oklch(42.7% 0.037 326.2)
-
Step 900
900
#4A3C4A
oklch(37.6% 0.03 326.2)
-
Step 950
950
#2B232B
oklch(26.9% 0.019 326.1)
#BDB1BD 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) | #B0B4BE | 0.019 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B3B5BD | 0.017 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #BEB2B5 | 0.013 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.021 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB1BD
#BDB1BD
oklch(77.4% 0.021 325.8)
- #ADB9AD
#ADB9AD
oklch(77.3% 0.021 145.4)
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 #BDB1BD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.024
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.029
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.040
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.045
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.051
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.051
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.057
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.062
Use #BDB1BD 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.