#BDB3AB
Closest named color: Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9). oklch(77.3% 0.016 61.3), rgb(189, 179, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.19:1).
About this color
#BDB3AB is a medium-light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.016. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.19:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.016) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9) |
| Black text | 10.19:1 |
| White text | 2.05:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB3AB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 179, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(27, 12%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.3% 0.016 61.3) |
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 #BDB3AB | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc -44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB3AB | 10.19:1 | AAA | Lc 63.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB3AB text on white | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc 40.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB3AB text on black | 10.19:1 | 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
#F6F5F4
oklch(97.1% 0.002 67.8)
-
Step 100
100
#ECE9E7
oklch(93.6% 0.004 56.4)
-
Step 200
200
#DED8D3
oklch(88.6% 0.009 62.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB3AB
oklch(77.3% 0.016 61.3)
-
Step 400
400
#AD9D91
oklch(70.6% 0.026 59.2)
-
Step 500
500
#998576
oklch(63.1% 0.033 59)
-
Step 600
600
#836F5E
oklch(55.6% 0.036 62.4)
-
Step 700
700
#6F5D4E
oklch(49.2% 0.033 61.7)
-
Step 800
800
#5A4C40
oklch(42.7% 0.027 62.6)
-
Step 900
900
#4A3F36
oklch(37.6% 0.021 61.4)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2520
oklch(26.9% 0.013 62.1)
#BDB3AB 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) | #B6B3AB | 0.010 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B8B6AB | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C1B1B1 | 0.013 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.016 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB3AB
#BDB3AB
oklch(77.3% 0.016 61.3)
- #ACB7BF
#ACB7BF
oklch(77.3% 0.017 239.2)
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 #BDB3AB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.023
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.031
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.039
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.041
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.042
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.050
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.052
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.057
Use #BDB3AB 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.