#BDB9AE
Closest named color: Silver (#C0C0C0). oklch(78.6% 0.016 90.3), rgb(189, 185, 174).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.71:1).
About this color
#BDB9AE is a light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.016. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Silver (#C0C0C0), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.71:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.016) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Silver (#C0C0C0) |
| Black text | 10.71:1 |
| White text | 1.95:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB9AE |
| RGB | rgb(189, 185, 174) |
| HSL | hsl(44, 10%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.6% 0.016 90.3) |
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 #BDB9AE | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc -42.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB9AE | 10.71:1 | AAA | Lc 66.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB9AE text on white | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc 37.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB9AE text on black | 10.71:1 | AAA | Lc -64.7 | 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
#DBD9D3
oklch(88.5% 0.008 91.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB9AE
oklch(78.6% 0.016 90.3)
-
Step 400
400
#A7A08F
oklch(70.7% 0.025 88.3)
-
Step 500
500
#918973
oklch(63.1% 0.033 90.4)
-
Step 600
600
#7B735C
oklch(55.6% 0.035 91.1)
-
Step 700
700
#68604B
oklch(49.1% 0.033 89.7)
-
Step 800
800
#554F3E
oklch(42.8% 0.028 90.9)
-
Step 900
900
#464135
oklch(37.7% 0.021 88.1)
-
Step 950
950
#29261F
oklch(26.9% 0.013 87.6)
#BDB9AE 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) | #BCB8AD | 0.003 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDBAAE | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C0B7B6 | 0.015 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.016 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB9AE
#BDB9AE
oklch(78.6% 0.016 90.3)
- #B5B9C4
#B5B9C4
oklch(78.6% 0.016 269.9)
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 #BDB9AE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.027
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.034
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.035
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.042
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.048
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.049
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.054
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.059
Use #BDB9AE 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.