Nearest named color: Charcoal
#2B4848
#2B4848
Nearest named
Charcoal
Family
Gray
Lightness
37.9%
Chroma
0.035
Hue angle
195.8°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
9.89:1 · AAA
Contrast on black
1.88:1 · Fail
Web-safe
#333333
CSS oklch()
38% 0.03 196

#2B4848 is a muted, temperate cyan. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered, quietly premium. It reproduces cleanly in print.

Palettes built on #2B4848

Not just a swatch — here's how #2B4848 works with other colors. Named schemes with #2B4848 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Charcoal opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Charcoal keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

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

Luxury Packaging Feature · 5 colors

Charcoal 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

Charcoal 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 Charcoal carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #2B4848 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 41/100
Neutral
Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.
Softness 39/100
Low
Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.
Depth 59/100
Moderate
Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.
Naturalness 7/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 33/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 62/100
High
Restrained and premium — deep, quiet, high-end packaging and fashion.
Brand distinctiveness 13/100
Very low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 43/100
Moderate
Workable accent with care around contrast.
Surface fit 50/100
Moderate
Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.
Print safety 91/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #2B4848

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion

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 9.9:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #D1DFDF for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #2C4049 — 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 #2B4848 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

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #2B4848;
  --color-base-rgb: 43 72 72;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(37.9% 0.035 195.8);
  --color-50: #F5F9F9;
  --color-100: #E5F0F0;
  --color-200: #CCE0E0;
  --color-300: #A7C8C8;
  --color-400: #84AEAE;
  --color-500: #649090;
  --color-600: #517070;
  --color-700: #3D5151;
  --color-800: #2A3636;
  --color-900: #1B2222;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}