#BDB99D
Closest named color: Putty (#BEAE8A). oklch(78.2% 0.039 100.5), rgb(189, 185, 157).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.59:1).
About this color
#BDB99D is a light, muted yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.039 and its hue 101°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Putty (#BEAE8A), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.59:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.039) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Putty (#BEAE8A) |
| Black text | 10.59:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB99D |
| RGB | rgb(189, 185, 157) |
| HSL | hsl(52, 20%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.039 100.5) |
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 #BDB99D | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB99D | 10.59:1 | AAA | Lc 65.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB99D text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB99D 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
#F6F6F2
oklch(97.2% 0.005 106.5)
-
Step 100
100
#EBEAE2
oklch(93.6% 0.011 100.8)
-
Step 200
200
#DCDACA
oklch(88.6% 0.022 101)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB99D
oklch(78.2% 0.039 100.5)
-
Step 400
400
#A9A275
oklch(70.7% 0.062 100.3)
-
Step 500
500
#948B51
oklch(63.1% 0.079 100.6)
-
Step 600
600
#7F7534
oklch(55.7% 0.087 100.7)
-
Step 700
700
#6B6227
oklch(49.2% 0.08 100.7)
-
Step 800
800
#575021
oklch(42.7% 0.067 100.9)
-
Step 900
900
#484220
oklch(37.6% 0.052 99.5)
-
Step 950
950
#2A2714
oklch(27% 0.032 100.4)
#BDB99D 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) | #BFB79B | 0.005 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C0B99E | 0.005 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C2B5B1 | 0.034 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.039 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB99D
#BDB99D
oklch(78.2% 0.039 100.5)
- #B3B6D1
#B3B6D1
oklch(78.3% 0.038 280.5)
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 #BDB99D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.032
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.034
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.040
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.041
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.044
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.046
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.046
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.047
Use #BDB99D 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.