#BDB9AB
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.5% 0.02 93.7), rgb(189, 185, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.69:1).
About this color
#BDB9AB is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.020. 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 10.69:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.020) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.69:1 |
| White text | 1.96:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB9AB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 185, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(47, 12%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.5% 0.02 93.7) |
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 #BDB9AB | 1.96:1 | Fails | Lc -42.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB9AB | 10.69:1 | AAA | Lc 66.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB9AB text on white | 1.96:1 | Fails | Lc 37.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB9AB text on black | 10.69:1 | AAA | Lc -64.5 | 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
#DBD9D1
oklch(88.5% 0.011 95.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB9AB
oklch(78.5% 0.02 93.7)
-
Step 400
400
#A7A18B
oklch(70.8% 0.032 94.5)
-
Step 500
500
#91896E
oklch(63% 0.04 93.5)
-
Step 600
600
#7C7356
oklch(55.6% 0.044 92.9)
-
Step 700
700
#686146
oklch(49.2% 0.041 95.3)
-
Step 800
800
#554F3A
oklch(42.7% 0.034 94)
-
Step 900
900
#464232
oklch(37.8% 0.026 95.7)
-
Step 950
950
#29261D
oklch(26.9% 0.017 91.8)
#BDB9AB 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) | #BCB8AA | 0.003 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDBAAB | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C0B7B5 | 0.018 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.020 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB9AB
#BDB9AB
oklch(78.5% 0.02 93.7)
- #B5B8C6
#B5B8C6
oklch(78.5% 0.02 276.3)
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 #BDB9AB, 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 0.036
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.037
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.040
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.044
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.045
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.054
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.056
Use #BDB9AB 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.