#BDB8AC
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.3% 0.018 88), rgb(189, 184, 172).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.61:1).
About this color
#BDB8AC is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.018. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.61:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.018) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.61:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB8AC |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 172) |
| HSL | hsl(42, 11%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.018 88) |
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 #BDB8AC | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB8AC | 10.61:1 | AAA | Lc 65.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB8AC text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB8AC text on black | 10.61:1 | AAA | Lc -64.2 | 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
#F6F5F4
oklch(97.1% 0.002 67.8)
-
Step 100
100
#EBEAE6
oklch(93.7% 0.005 95.1)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD9D2
oklch(88.6% 0.01 87.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB8AC
oklch(78.3% 0.018 88)
-
Step 400
400
#A8A08D
oklch(70.7% 0.028 87.9)
-
Step 500
500
#938971
oklch(63.2% 0.037 88.1)
-
Step 600
600
#7D7259
oklch(55.5% 0.039 87)
-
Step 700
700
#696049
oklch(49.1% 0.037 89.2)
-
Step 800
800
#564E3C
oklch(42.6% 0.03 86.8)
-
Step 900
900
#474133
oklch(37.7% 0.024 87.6)
-
Step 950
950
#29261E
oklch(26.9% 0.015 89.9)
#BDB8AC 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) | #BBB7AB | 0.004 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BCB9AC | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C0B6B4 | 0.015 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.018 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB8AC
#BDB8AC
oklch(78.3% 0.018 88)
- #B3B8C4
#B3B8C4
oklch(78.2% 0.018 267.8)
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 #BDB8AC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.030
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.033
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.035
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.043
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.045
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.047
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.052
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.058
Use #BDB8AC 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.