What color is #281F1D?

#281F1D is a very dark low-chroma warm gray with a subtle warm cast. In RGB it is rgb(40, 31, 29), and in HSL hsl(11, 16%, 14%).

Is #281F1D accessible as text?

On white, #281F1D has a contrast ratio of 16.10:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.30:1 (fails). For text placed on #281F1D, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #281F1D?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is stone-800 (#292524).

What colors go well with #281F1D?

As a neutral, #281F1D pairs cleanly with white, off-white and light grays for text, and sits under accent hues like blue, violet, emerald or warm orange — use it as a dark surface or high-contrast base and let the accent carry the color.

Is #281F1D the same as CSS midnightblue?

No — #281F1D is not the CSS named color midnightblue, but midnightblue (#191970) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#281F1D Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #281F1D

Not just a swatch — here's how #281F1D works with other colors. Named schemes with #281F1D in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #281F1D Surface #15161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5F6473 Accent #463D3B

Graphite is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Graphite.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #281F1D Secondary #7B4927 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #42503A Anchor #5A222D

Graphite plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #281F1D Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BBAE9F Ink #2B2723

Graphite sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Luxury Packaging Feature · 5 colors

Feature #281F1D Anchor #141210 Accent #D09E4D Secondary #322523 Surface #F2EDE3

Graphite carries the depth in this luxury scheme, offset by a brass accent and near-black and held together by a deep neutral and an off-white surface.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #281F1D Secondary #474443 Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Graphite is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Graphite carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #281F1D actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 54/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 28/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 70/100

High

Deep and grounding — anchors a layout, strong dark-mode base.

Naturalness 28/100

Low

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 33/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 70/100

High

Restrained and premium — deep, quiet, high-end packaging and fashion.

Brand distinctiveness 6/100

Very low

Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.

UI accent fit 13/100

Very low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 64/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 98/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #281F1D

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #281F1D with

Onyx Bistre Graphite Gainsboro Taupe

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with white label. AAA

Body text Passes on white at 16px and above. Pass

Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass

Background Pair with white text at 16.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #D8D0CE for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #29241E — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #281F1D at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #281F1D;
  --color-base-rgb: 40 31 29;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(24.9% 0.015 32.7);
  --color-50: #F9F7F6;
  --color-100: #EEE8E7;
  --color-200: #DDD2D0;
  --color-300: #C2B1AD;
  --color-400: #A6918C;
  --color-500: #88716C;
  --color-600: #6B5B57;
  --color-700: #4E4341;
  --color-800: #342E2D;
  --color-900: #211D1C;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  graphite: {
    50: '#F9F7F6',
    100: '#EEE8E7',
    200: '#DDD2D0',
    300: '#C2B1AD',
    400: '#A6918C',
    500: '#88716C',
    600: '#6B5B57',
    700: '#4E4341',
    800: '#342E2D',
    900: '#211D1C',
  },
}

$base: #281F1D;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #F9F7F6;
$base-100: #EEE8E7;
$base-200: #DDD2D0;
$base-300: #C2B1AD;
$base-400: #A6918C;
$base-500: #88716C;
$base-600: #6B5B57;
$base-700: #4E4341;
$base-800: #342E2D;
$base-900: #211D1C;
$base-hover: #211A18;
$base-subtle: #C5B8B5;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#281F1D",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F9F7F6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EEE8E7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#DDD2D0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#C2B1AD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#A6918C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#88716C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#6B5B57",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#4E4341",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#342E2D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#211D1C",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #281F1D

Color Lab

Pairs with #281F1D

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export