#BDB8A9
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.2% 0.022 91.6), rgb(189, 184, 169).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.59:1).
About this color
#BDB8A9 is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.022. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.033 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.59:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.022) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.59:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB8A9 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 169) |
| HSL | hsl(45, 13%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.022 91.6) |
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 #BDB8A9 | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB8A9 | 10.59:1 | AAA | Lc 65.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB8A9 text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB8A9 text on black | 10.59:1 | AAA | Lc -64.1 | 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
#F6F5F3
oklch(97% 0.003 84.6)
-
Step 100
100
#EBEAE5
oklch(93.6% 0.007 97.4)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD9D0
oklch(88.5% 0.013 91.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB8A9
oklch(78.2% 0.022 91.6)
-
Step 400
400
#A8A089
oklch(70.6% 0.034 91.1)
-
Step 500
500
#93896B
oklch(63.1% 0.044 91.8)
-
Step 600
600
#7D7353
oklch(55.6% 0.048 92.8)
-
Step 700
700
#6A6043
oklch(49.1% 0.045 91.3)
-
Step 800
800
#564F38
oklch(42.8% 0.037 93.2)
-
Step 900
900
#474130
oklch(37.6% 0.029 90.9)
-
Step 950
950
#2A261C
oklch(27% 0.019 88.8)
#BDB8A9 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) | #BCB7A8 | 0.003 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDB9A9 | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C1B5B4 | 0.021 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.022 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB8A9
#BDB8A9
oklch(78.2% 0.022 91.6)
- #B3B8C6
#B3B8C6
oklch(78.3% 0.021 270.2)
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 #BDB8A9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.033
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.035
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.038
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.041
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.042
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.044
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.052
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.054
Use #BDB8A9 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.