#BDB89D
Closest named color: Putty (#BEAE8A). oklch(77.9% 0.037 98.5), rgb(189, 184, 157).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.50:1).
About this color
#BDB89D is a medium-light, muted yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.037 and its hue 99°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Putty (#BEAE8A), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.50:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.037) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Putty (#BEAE8A) |
| Black text | 10.50:1 |
| White text | 1.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB89D |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 157) |
| HSL | hsl(51, 20%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.9% 0.037 98.5) |
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 #BDB89D | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc -43.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB89D | 10.50:1 | AAA | Lc 65.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB89D text on white | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc 38.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB89D text on black | 10.50:1 | 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
#F6F5F2
oklch(97% 0.004 91.4)
-
Step 100
100
#EBEAE2
oklch(93.6% 0.011 100.8)
-
Step 200
200
#DCDACA
oklch(88.6% 0.022 101)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB89D
oklch(77.9% 0.037 98.5)
-
Step 400
400
#AAA276
oklch(70.8% 0.061 99)
-
Step 500
500
#958A53
oklch(63% 0.076 98.3)
-
Step 600
600
#807436
oklch(55.6% 0.084 98.5)
-
Step 700
700
#6C6129
oklch(49.1% 0.077 98.3)
-
Step 800
800
#584F23
oklch(42.6% 0.064 97.9)
-
Step 900
900
#484221
oklch(37.7% 0.051 99.2)
-
Step 950
950
#2A2714
oklch(27% 0.032 100.4)
#BDB89D 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) | #BEB69B | 0.005 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BFB89E | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C2B4B0 | 0.033 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.037 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB89D
#BDB89D
oklch(77.9% 0.037 98.5)
- #B1B5D0
#B1B5D0
oklch(77.9% 0.039 278.8)
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 #BDB89D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.030
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.034
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.042
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.042
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.043
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.044
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.045
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.047
Use #BDB89D 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.