#BDB38B
Closest named color: Putty (#BEAE8A). oklch(76.5% 0.055 95.7), rgb(189, 179, 139).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.98:1).
About this color
#BDB38B is a medium-light, muted yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.055 and its hue 96°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Putty (#BEAE8A), ΔE 0.013 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.98:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.055) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Putty (#BEAE8A) |
| Black text | 9.98:1 |
| White text | 2.10:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB38B |
| RGB | rgb(189, 179, 139) |
| HSL | hsl(48, 27%, 64%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.5% 0.055 95.7) |
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 #BDB38B | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc -45.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BDB38B | 9.98:1 | AAA | Lc 62.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB38B text on white | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc 41.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB38B text on black | 9.98:1 | AAA | Lc -61.1 | 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
#F7F5F0
oklch(97% 0.007 88.6)
-
Step 100
100
#EDEADE
oklch(93.6% 0.016 95.2)
-
Step 200
200
#DFD9C3
oklch(88.4% 0.03 94.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB38B
oklch(76.5% 0.055 95.7)
-
Step 400
400
#B1A15E
oklch(70.8% 0.089 96.3)
-
Step 500
500
#9E882B
oklch(63% 0.113 95.4)
-
Step 600
600
#887200
oklch(55.6% 0.114 95.6)
-
Step 700
700
#726000
oklch(49.2% 0.101 96.3)
-
Step 800
800
#5E4E00
oklch(42.8% 0.088 95.4)
-
Step 900
900
#4E4106
oklch(37.8% 0.074 95.4)
-
Step 950
950
#2D2608
oklch(26.9% 0.046 96)
#BDB38B 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) | #BBB188 | 0.007 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BEB48C | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C5ADA8 | 0.050 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.055 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB38B
#BDB38B
oklch(76.5% 0.055 95.7)
- #A8B0D7
#A8B0D7
oklch(76.4% 0.057 275.9)
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 #BDB38B, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.013
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.023
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.029
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.030
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.032
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.035
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.038
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.044
Use #BDB38B 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.