#BDB8A4
Closest named color: Putty (#BEAE8A). oklch(78.1% 0.028 95.4), rgb(189, 184, 164).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.55:1).
About this color
#BDB8A4 is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.028. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Putty (#BEAE8A), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.55:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.028) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Putty (#BEAE8A) |
| Black text | 10.55:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB8A4 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 164) |
| HSL | hsl(48, 16%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.1% 0.028 95.4) |
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 #BDB8A4 | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB8A4 | 10.55:1 | AAA | Lc 65.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB8A4 text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB8A4 text on black | 10.55:1 | AAA | Lc -63.9 | 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
#F6F5F3
oklch(97% 0.003 84.6)
-
Step 100
100
#EBEAE4
oklch(93.6% 0.008 98.9)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD9CE
oklch(88.5% 0.015 94.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB8A4
oklch(78.1% 0.028 95.4)
-
Step 400
400
#A9A181
oklch(70.7% 0.045 95.6)
-
Step 500
500
#948A61
oklch(63.2% 0.058 96.1)
-
Step 600
600
#7E7348
oklch(55.5% 0.062 95.5)
-
Step 700
700
#6B6139
oklch(49.2% 0.059 95.8)
-
Step 800
800
#574F30
oklch(42.7% 0.048 95.4)
-
Step 900
900
#48422A
oklch(37.8% 0.039 95.8)
-
Step 950
950
#2A2619
oklch(26.9% 0.023 93)
#BDB8A4 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) | #BDB7A3 | 0.003 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BEB9A5 | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C1B5B2 | 0.025 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.028 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB8A4
#BDB8A4
oklch(78.1% 0.028 95.4)
- #B2B7CA
#B2B7CA
oklch(78.1% 0.027 274)
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 #BDB8A4, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.036
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.038
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.039
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.039
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.041
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.043
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.049
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.050
Use #BDB8A4 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.