#BDB7AB
Closest named color: Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9). oklch(78.1% 0.018 84.6), rgb(189, 183, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.52:1).
About this color
#BDB7AB is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.018. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.52:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.018) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Pinkish Grey (#C8ACA9) |
| Black text | 10.52:1 |
| White text | 1.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB7AB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 183, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(40, 12%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.1% 0.018 84.6) |
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 #BDB7AB | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc -43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB7AB | 10.52:1 | AAA | Lc 65.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB7AB text on white | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc 38.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB7AB text on black | 10.52:1 | AAA | Lc -63.7 | 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
#EBEAE6
oklch(93.7% 0.005 95.1)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD9D2
oklch(88.6% 0.01 87.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB7AB
oklch(78.1% 0.018 84.6)
-
Step 400
400
#A9A08D
oklch(70.8% 0.029 85.7)
-
Step 500
500
#948870
oklch(63.1% 0.037 84.5)
-
Step 600
600
#7E7259
oklch(55.6% 0.04 85.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6B5F49
oklch(49.1% 0.037 82.5)
-
Step 800
800
#574E3C
oklch(42.8% 0.031 84.5)
-
Step 900
900
#484133
oklch(37.8% 0.025 84.5)
-
Step 950
950
#2A261E
oklch(27% 0.015 84.5)
#BDB7AB 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) | #BAB7AA | 0.005 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BCB8AB | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C0B5B3 | 0.015 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.018 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB7AB
#BDB7AB
oklch(78.1% 0.018 84.6)
- #B2B8C4
#B2B8C4
oklch(78.2% 0.018 264.5)
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 #BDB7AB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.031
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.032
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.034
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.043
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.046
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.046
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.050
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.056
Use #BDB7AB 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.