#BDB8AE
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.4% 0.015 84.6), rgb(189, 184, 174).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.63:1).
About this color
#BDB8AE is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.015. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.63:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.015) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.63:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB8AE |
| RGB | rgb(189, 184, 174) |
| HSL | hsl(40, 10%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.4% 0.015 84.6) |
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 #BDB8AE | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB8AE | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc 65.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB8AE text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB8AE text on black | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc -64.3 | 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
#EBEAE7
oklch(93.7% 0.004 91.4)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD9D3
oklch(88.6% 0.009 84.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB8AE
oklch(78.4% 0.015 84.6)
-
Step 400
400
#A8A090
oklch(70.8% 0.025 84.6)
-
Step 500
500
#928875
oklch(63% 0.03 83.5)
-
Step 600
600
#7C725D
oklch(55.5% 0.033 85.5)
-
Step 700
700
#69604D
oklch(49.2% 0.031 85.6)
-
Step 800
800
#564E3F
oklch(42.7% 0.026 83.1)
-
Step 900
900
#474136
oklch(37.8% 0.02 82.7)
-
Step 950
950
#29261F
oklch(26.9% 0.013 87.6)
#BDB8AE 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) | #BBB8AD | 0.003 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BCB9AE | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C0B6B5 | 0.014 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.015 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB8AE
#BDB8AE
oklch(78.4% 0.015 84.6)
- #B4B9C3
#B4B9C3
oklch(78.5% 0.015 264.5)
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 #BDB8AE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.028
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.033
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.033
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.044
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.047
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.049
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.051
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.059
Use #BDB8AE 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.