What color is #38403D?

#38403D is a dark low-chroma cool gray with a subtle cool cast. In RGB it is rgb(56, 64, 61), and in HSL hsl(158, 7%, 24%).

Is #38403D accessible as text?

On white, #38403D has a contrast ratio of 10.67:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.97:1 (fails). For text placed on #38403D, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #38403D?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is neutral-700 (#404040).

What colors go well with #38403D?

As a neutral, #38403D 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 #38403D the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #38403D 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.

#38403D Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #38403D

Not just a swatch — here's how #38403D works with other colors. Named schemes with #38403D in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #38403D Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #586771 Accent #59605E

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

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #38403D Secondary #734F19 Surface #E5DBC0 Accent #3B5141 Anchor #5B231F

Onyx 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 #38403D Surface #EDEADC Highlight #F5F1E7 Secondary #B5B19F Ink #2A2723

Onyx 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 #38403D Anchor #141210 Accent #BCA84C Secondary #1F2C28 Surface #F1EDE3

Onyx 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 #38403D Secondary #626564 Support #989286 Ink #16140F

Onyx 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 Onyx carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #38403D 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 48/100

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 14/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 29/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 61/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 5/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 31/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 58/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 98/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #38403D

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #38403D with

Feldgrau Charcoal Onyx Platinum Outer Space

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 10.7:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #D6DAD9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #394141 — 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 #38403D 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: #38403D;
  --color-base-rgb: 56 64 61;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(36.3% 0.012 171.1);
  --color-50: #F7F8F8;
  --color-100: #E9ECEB;
  --color-200: #D3D9D7;
  --color-300: #B3BCB9;
  --color-400: #939F9B;
  --color-500: #74817C;
  --color-600: #5D6562;
  --color-700: #454A48;
  --color-800: #2F3231;
  --color-900: #1D201F;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  onyx: {
    50: '#F7F8F8',
    100: '#E9ECEB',
    200: '#D3D9D7',
    300: '#B3BCB9',
    400: '#939F9B',
    500: '#74817C',
    600: '#5D6562',
    700: '#454A48',
    800: '#2F3231',
    900: '#1D201F',
  },
}

$base: #38403D;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #F7F8F8;
$base-100: #E9ECEB;
$base-200: #D3D9D7;
$base-300: #B3BCB9;
$base-400: #939F9B;
$base-500: #74817C;
$base-600: #5D6562;
$base-700: #454A48;
$base-800: #2F3231;
$base-900: #1D201F;
$base-hover: #2E3432;
$base-subtle: #C2C8C6;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#38403D",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F7F8F8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E9ECEB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#D3D9D7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#B3BCB9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#939F9B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#74817C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#5D6562",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#454A48",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2F3231",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1D201F",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}