Nearest named color: Bistre
#2E2E22
#2E2E22
Nearest named
Bistre
Family
Gray
Lightness
29.7%
Chroma
0.021
Hue angle
107.6°
Temperature
Warm
Contrast on white
13.72:1 · AAA
Contrast on black
1.35:1 · Fail
Web-safe
#333333
CSS oklch()
30% 0.02 108

#2E2E22 is a near-black neutral with only a whisper of temperate cast. On the Color Lab it reads quietly premium, restrained and easy to live with. It is too dark to lead as a primary accent and reproduces cleanly in print.

Palettes built on #2E2E22

Not just a swatch — here's how #2E2E22 works with other colors. Named schemes with #2E2E22 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Botanical Studio Lead · 5 colors

Bistre leads this botanical set among foliage greens and a terracotta accent, softened by cream and grounded in bark brown.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

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

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Bistre 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

Bistre 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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Bistre 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 Bistre carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #2E2E22 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 53/100
Neutral
Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.
Softness 32/100
Low
Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.
Depth 66/100
High
Deep and grounding — anchors a layout, strong dark-mode base.
Naturalness 24/100
Low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 36/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 67/100
High
Restrained and premium — deep, quiet, high-end packaging and fashion.
Brand distinctiveness 8/100
Very low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 22/100
Low
Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.
Surface fit 59/100
Moderate
Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.
Print safety 96/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #2E2E22

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #2E2E22 with

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 13.7:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #D9D9D0 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #2B2F23 — 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 #2E2E22 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: #2E2E22;
  --color-base-rgb: 46 46 34;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(29.7% 0.021 107.6);
  --color-50: #F9F9F6;
  --color-100: #EEEEE7;
  --color-200: #DCDCD0;
  --color-300: #C1C1AE;
  --color-400: #A5A58D;
  --color-500: #88886D;
  --color-600: #6A6A58;
  --color-700: #4D4D41;
  --color-800: #34342D;
  --color-900: #21211D;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}