What color is #381B1E?

#381B1E is a very dark red. In RGB it is rgb(56, 27, 30), and in HSL hsl(354, 35%, 16%).

Is #381B1E accessible as text?

On white, #381B1E has a contrast ratio of 15.63:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.34:1 (fails). For text placed on #381B1E, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #381B1E?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is taupe-800 (#2B2422).

What colors go well with #381B1E?

#381B1E pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1B3734. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #381B1E below.

Is #381B1E good for buttons?

#381B1E works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #381B1E — black text only reaches 1.34:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #381B1E the same as CSS maroon?

No — #381B1E is not the CSS named color maroon, but maroon (#800000) is the closest CSS named color.

#381B1E Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #381B1E

Not just a swatch — here's how #381B1E works with other colors. Named schemes with #381B1E in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #381B1E Secondary #7C4829 Surface #EAD9C1 Accent #444F3A Anchor #5A222F

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.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #381B1E Secondary #B86229 Accent #797642 Surface #F5EBDD Anchor #3B2A21

This palette keeps Bistre as the dominant warm neutral, balanced by muted terracotta and olive earth tones and grounded by a deep espresso anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #381B1E Surface #F0E8DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BBAEA0 Ink #2B2723

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.

Luxury Packaging Feature · 5 colors

Feature #381B1E Anchor #141210 Accent #D29D4E Secondary #322526 Surface #F3EDE3

Bistre 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 #381B1E Secondary #514546 Support #9B9087 Ink #17140F

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.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #381B1E 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 61/100

Neutral

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

Softness 27/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 70/100

High

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

Naturalness 35/100

Low

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 42/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 72/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 18/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 20/100

Low

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

Surface fit 54/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 95/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #381B1E

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #381B1E with

Tyrian Purple Bistre Bottle Green Gainsboro Espresso

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 15.6:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #DFC9CC for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #37211B — 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 #381B1E 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: #381B1E;
  --color-base-rgb: 56 27 30;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(26.4% 0.046 14.1);
  --color-50: #FAF4F5;
  --color-100: #F2E3E5;
  --color-200: #E4C8CB;
  --color-300: #CEA1A6;
  --color-400: #B67C82;
  --color-500: #995C62;
  --color-600: #774B4F;
  --color-700: #56393C;
  --color-800: #39282A;
  --color-900: #231A1B;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FAF4F5',
    100: '#F2E3E5',
    200: '#E4C8CB',
    300: '#CEA1A6',
    400: '#B67C82',
    500: '#995C62',
    600: '#774B4F',
    700: '#56393C',
    800: '#39282A',
    900: '#231A1B',
  },
}

$base: #381B1E;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF4F5;
$base-100: #F2E3E5;
$base-200: #E4C8CB;
$base-300: #CEA1A6;
$base-400: #B67C82;
$base-500: #995C62;
$base-600: #774B4F;
$base-700: #56393C;
$base-800: #39282A;
$base-900: #231A1B;
$base-hover: #2C1518;
$base-subtle: #D0AEB1;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#381B1E",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF4F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F2E3E5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E4C8CB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CEA1A6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B67C82",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#995C62",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#774B4F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#56393C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#39282A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231A1B",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}