What color is #40280D?

#40280D is a very dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(64, 40, 13), and in HSL hsl(32, 66%, 15%).

Is #40280D accessible as text?

On white, #40280D has a contrast ratio of 13.75:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.53:1 (fails). For text placed on #40280D, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #40280D?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is yellow-950 (#432004).

What colors go well with #40280D?

#40280D pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #0D253F. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #40280D below.

Is #40280D good for buttons?

#40280D works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #40280D — black text only reaches 1.53:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #40280D the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #40280D 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.

#40280D Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #40280D

Not just a swatch — here's how #40280D works with other colors. Named schemes with #40280D in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #40280D Secondary #B4661A Accent #737945 Surface #F3ECDD 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 #40280D Secondary #7A4A23 Surface #E9DAC0 Accent #41503C Anchor #5B222A

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 #40280D Surface #E1CEA8 Secondary #AF7A54 Accent #94986F 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 #40280D Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B9AF9F 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 #40280D Secondary #5A5148 Support #9A9186 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 #40280D 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 65/100

Warm

Reads warm and advancing — inviting, energetic, draws the eye forward.

Softness 30/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 67/100

High

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

Naturalness 66/100

High

Organic, earthy character — at home in wellness, food and craft brands.

Vintage feel 50/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 70/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 21/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 30/100

Low

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

Surface fit 49/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 94/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #40280D

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #40280D with

Rosewood Espresso Navy Greige Taupe

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 #E8D5BF for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #3F390D — 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 #40280D 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: #40280D;
  --color-base-rgb: 64 40 13;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(30.1% 0.054 66.2);
  --color-50: #FDF8F2;
  --color-100: #F9ECDC;
  --color-200: #F1D8BB;
  --color-300: #E2BA8D;
  --color-400: #D09D62;
  --color-500: #B57E40;
  --color-600: #8A6438;
  --color-700: #62492D;
  --color-800: #403221;
  --color-900: #281F16;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FDF8F2',
    100: '#F9ECDC',
    200: '#F1D8BB',
    300: '#E2BA8D',
    400: '#D09D62',
    500: '#B57E40',
    600: '#8A6438',
    700: '#62492D',
    800: '#403221',
    900: '#281F16',
  },
}

$base: #40280D;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FDF8F2;
$base-100: #F9ECDC;
$base-200: #F1D8BB;
$base-300: #E2BA8D;
$base-400: #D09D62;
$base-500: #B57E40;
$base-600: #8A6438;
$base-700: #62492D;
$base-800: #403221;
$base-900: #281F16;
$base-hover: #33200A;
$base-subtle: #DFC09D;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#40280D",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FDF8F2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F9ECDC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F1D8BB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#E2BA8D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#D09D62",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#B57E40",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#8A6438",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#62492D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#403221",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#281F16",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #40280D

Color Lab

Pairs with #40280D

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export