What color is #42201F?

#42201F is a dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(66, 32, 31), and in HSL hsl(2, 36%, 19%).

Is #42201F accessible as text?

On white, #42201F has a contrast ratio of 14.40:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.46:1 (fails). For text placed on #42201F, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #42201F?

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

What colors go well with #42201F?

#42201F pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1F4142. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #42201F below.

Is #42201F good for buttons?

#42201F works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #42201F — black text only reaches 1.46:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #42201F the same as CSS maroon?

No — #42201F is not the CSS named color maroon, but maroon (#800000) 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.

#42201F Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #42201F

Not just a swatch — here's how #42201F works with other colors. Named schemes with #42201F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #42201F Secondary #B76327 Accent #787742 Surface #F4EBDD 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.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #42201F Secondary #7C4928 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #43503A Anchor #5A222E

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 #42201F Surface #E3CDA8 Secondary #B27958 Accent #98976D Anchor #3E2C21

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 #42201F 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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #42201F Secondary #5A4C4B 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 #42201F 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 64/100

Warm

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

Softness 29/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 68/100

High

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

Naturalness 53/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 48/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 71/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 20/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 27/100

Low

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

Surface fit 50/100

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 #42201F

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #42201F with

Wine Red Espresso Onyx Gainsboro

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 14.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E0CCCB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #422C1F — 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 #42201F 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: #42201F;
  --color-base-rgb: 66 32 31;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(29.0% 0.053 22.6);
  --color-50: #FAF5F4;
  --color-100: #F2E3E3;
  --color-200: #E5C9C8;
  --color-300: #CFA2A0;
  --color-400: #B77D7B;
  --color-500: #9A5D5B;
  --color-600: #774C4A;
  --color-700: #563A39;
  --color-800: #392828;
  --color-900: #231A1A;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FAF5F4',
    100: '#F2E3E3',
    200: '#E5C9C8',
    300: '#CFA2A0',
    400: '#B77D7B',
    500: '#9A5D5B',
    600: '#774C4A',
    700: '#563A39',
    800: '#392828',
    900: '#231A1A',
  },
}

$base: #42201F;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF5F4;
$base-100: #F2E3E3;
$base-200: #E5C9C8;
$base-300: #CFA2A0;
$base-400: #B77D7B;
$base-500: #9A5D5B;
$base-600: #774C4A;
$base-700: #563A39;
$base-800: #392828;
$base-900: #231A1A;
$base-hover: #351A19;
$base-subtle: #D2B1B0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#42201F",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF5F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F2E3E3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E5C9C8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CFA2A0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B77D7B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#9A5D5B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#774C4A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#563A39",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#392828",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231A1A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #42201F

Color Lab

Pairs with #42201F

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export