#BDBA97
Closest named color: Putty (#BEAE8A). oklch(78.2% 0.048 103.4), rgb(189, 186, 151).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.63:1).
About this color
#BDBA97 is a light, muted yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.048 and its hue 103°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Putty (#BEAE8A), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.63:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.048) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Putty (#BEAE8A) |
| Black text | 10.63:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDBA97 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 186, 151) |
| HSL | hsl(55, 22%, 67%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.048 103.4) |
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 #BDBA97 | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDBA97 | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc 65.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDBA97 text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDBA97 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
#F6F6F1
oklch(97.2% 0.007 106.5)
-
Step 100
100
#EBEAE0
oklch(93.5% 0.013 102)
-
Step 200
200
#DCDAC7
oklch(88.5% 0.026 102)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDBA97
oklch(78.2% 0.048 103.4)
-
Step 400
400
#A9A36A
oklch(70.7% 0.077 103)
-
Step 500
500
#948C41
oklch(63.1% 0.097 103.2)
-
Step 600
600
#7F761C
oklch(55.7% 0.107 103.4)
-
Step 700
700
#6B630D
oklch(49.2% 0.099 103.6)
-
Step 800
800
#575110
oklch(42.8% 0.082 103.9)
-
Step 900
900
#484316
oklch(37.8% 0.064 103)
-
Step 950
950
#2A270E
oklch(26.9% 0.04 102.5)
#BDBA97 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) | #C1B795 | 0.009 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C2B998 | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C3B5B0 | 0.043 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.048 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDBA97
#BDBA97
oklch(78.2% 0.048 103.4)
- #B3B5D6
#B3B5D6
oklch(78.2% 0.047 282.5)
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 #BDBA97, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.031
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.032
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.036
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.040
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.041
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.041
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.045
- Burlywood #DEB887 ΔE 0.049
Use #BDBA97 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.