#BDB8AA
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.3% 0.02 90.6), rgb(189, 184, 170).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.60:1).
About this color
#BDB8AA is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.020. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.60:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.020) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.60:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB8AA |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 170) |
| HSL | hsl(44, 13%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.02 90.6) |
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 #BDB8AA | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB8AA | 10.60:1 | AAA | Lc 65.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB8AA text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB8AA text on black | 10.60:1 | 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
#DCD9D1
oklch(88.5% 0.011 89.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB8AA
oklch(78.3% 0.02 90.6)
-
Step 400
400
#A8A08A
oklch(70.6% 0.032 90.4)
-
Step 500
500
#93896D
oklch(63.1% 0.042 90.7)
-
Step 600
600
#7D7355
oklch(55.7% 0.045 91.8)
-
Step 700
700
#6A6045
oklch(49.1% 0.042 90.1)
-
Step 800
800
#564E39
oklch(42.6% 0.034 89.6)
-
Step 900
900
#474131
oklch(37.6% 0.027 89.9)
-
Step 950
950
#2A261D
oklch(27% 0.017 86.9)
#BDB8AA 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) | #BBB7A9 | 0.004 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDB9AA | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C1B6B4 | 0.018 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.020 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB8AA
#BDB8AA
oklch(78.3% 0.02 90.6)
- #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 #BDB8AA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.032
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.034
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.037
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.042
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.043
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.045
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.052
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.055
Use #BDB8AA 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.