#BDB4BD
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(78% 0.016 325.7), rgb(189, 180, 189).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.42:1).
About this color
#BDB4BD is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.016. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.42:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.016) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 10.42:1 |
| White text | 2.01:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB4BD |
| RGB | rgb(189, 180, 189) |
| HSL | hsl(300, 6%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78% 0.016 325.7) |
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 #BDB4BD | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc -43.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB4BD | 10.42:1 | AAA | Lc 64.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB4BD text on white | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc 39.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB4BD text on black | 10.42:1 | AAA | Lc -63.3 | 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
#EBE9EB
oklch(93.6% 0.003 325.6)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD7DC
oklch(88.5% 0.009 325.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB4BD
oklch(78% 0.016 325.7)
-
Step 400
400
#A99BA9
oklch(70.6% 0.026 325.8)
-
Step 500
500
#948394
oklch(63.1% 0.032 325.9)
-
Step 600
600
#7F6C7F
oklch(55.6% 0.037 326.1)
-
Step 700
700
#6B5A6B
oklch(49% 0.034 326.1)
-
Step 800
800
#574A57
oklch(42.7% 0.027 326)
-
Step 900
900
#483E48
oklch(37.8% 0.021 326)
-
Step 950
950
#2A242A
oklch(26.9% 0.014 326)
#BDB4BD 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) | #B4B6BD | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B5B7BD | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #BEB5B7 | 0.010 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.016 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB4BD
#BDB4BD
oklch(78% 0.016 325.7)
- #B1BAB1
#B1BAB1
oklch(77.9% 0.016 145.4)
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 #BDB4BD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.022
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.031
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.032
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.047
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.048
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.049
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.053
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.059
Use #BDB4BD 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.