#BDB8AB
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.3% 0.019 89.4), rgb(189, 184, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.60:1).
About this color
#BDB8AB is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.019. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.60:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.019) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.60:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB8AB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(43, 12%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.019 89.4) |
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 #BDB8AB | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB8AB | 10.60:1 | AAA | Lc 65.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB8AB text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB8AB 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
#EBEAE6
oklch(93.7% 0.005 95.1)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD9D1
oklch(88.5% 0.011 89.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB8AB
oklch(78.3% 0.019 89.4)
-
Step 400
400
#A8A08C
oklch(70.7% 0.03 88.8)
-
Step 500
500
#93896F
oklch(63.2% 0.039 89.5)
-
Step 600
600
#7D7257
oklch(55.5% 0.042 88.5)
-
Step 700
700
#696047
oklch(49.1% 0.039 90.6)
-
Step 800
800
#564E3B
oklch(42.6% 0.032 87.9)
-
Step 900
900
#474132
oklch(37.7% 0.026 88.8)
-
Step 950
950
#29261E
oklch(26.9% 0.015 89.9)
#BDB8AB 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) | #BBB7AA | 0.004 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDB9AB | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C0B6B4 | 0.016 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.019 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB8AB
#BDB8AB
oklch(78.3% 0.019 89.4)
- #B3B8C5
#B3B8C5
oklch(78.3% 0.019 269)
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 #BDB8AB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.031
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.034
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.036
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.043
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.044
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.046
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.052
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.057
Use #BDB8AB 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.