What color is #38241D?

#38241D is a very dark low-chroma warm gray with a subtle warm cast. In RGB it is rgb(56, 36, 29), and in HSL hsl(16, 32%, 17%).

Is #38241D accessible as text?

On white, #38241D has a contrast ratio of 14.60:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.44:1 (fails). For text placed on #38241D, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #38241D?

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

What colors go well with #38241D?

As a neutral, #38241D 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 #38241D the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #38241D is not the CSS named color darkslategray, but darkslategray (#2F4F4F) 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.

#38241D Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #38241D

Not just a swatch — here's how #38241D works with other colors. Named schemes with #38241D in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #38241D Secondary #B66422 Accent #767843 Surface #F4ECDD Anchor #3B2A20

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

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #38241D Secondary #7B4926 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #42503B Anchor #5B222D

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.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #38241D Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17956 Accent #97976E Anchor #3E2C20

Bistre holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #38241D Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BAAE9F 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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #38241D Secondary #544C49 Support #9B9186 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.

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Color Lab

How #38241D 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 60/100

Neutral

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

Softness 30/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 68/100

High

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

Naturalness 49/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 42/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 69/100

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 22/100

Low

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

Surface fit 56/100

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 #38241D

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #38241D with

Taupe Bistre Gunmetal Gray Greige

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 14.6:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #DED0CB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #392E1D — 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 #38241D 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
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Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

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Export

:root {
  --color-base: #38241D;
  --color-base-rgb: 56 36 29;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(28.3% 0.033 40.1);
  --color-50: #FAF6F5;
  --color-100: #F2E7E4;
  --color-200: #E3D0C9;
  --color-300: #CCAEA3;
  --color-400: #B38D7F;
  --color-500: #976D5E;
  --color-600: #75584D;
  --color-700: #54413A;
  --color-800: #382D29;
  --color-900: #231D1A;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FAF6F5',
    100: '#F2E7E4',
    200: '#E3D0C9',
    300: '#CCAEA3',
    400: '#B38D7F',
    500: '#976D5E',
    600: '#75584D',
    700: '#54413A',
    800: '#382D29',
    900: '#231D1A',
  },
}

$base: #38241D;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF6F5;
$base-100: #F2E7E4;
$base-200: #E3D0C9;
$base-300: #CCAEA3;
$base-400: #B38D7F;
$base-500: #976D5E;
$base-600: #75584D;
$base-700: #54413A;
$base-800: #382D29;
$base-900: #231D1A;
$base-hover: #2E1E18;
$base-subtle: #CFB8B0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#38241D",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF6F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F2E7E4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E3D0C9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CCAEA3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B38D7F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#976D5E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#75584D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#54413A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#382D29",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231D1A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #38241D

Color Lab

Pairs with #38241D

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export