What color is #42281F?

#42281F is a dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(66, 40, 31), and in HSL hsl(15, 36%, 19%).

Is #42281F accessible as text?

On white, #42281F has a contrast ratio of 13.51:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.55:1 (fails). For text placed on #42281F, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #42281F?

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

What colors go well with #42281F?

#42281F pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1F3942. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #42281F below.

Is #42281F good for buttons?

#42281F works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #42281F — black text only reaches 1.55:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #42281F the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #42281F 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.

#42281F Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #42281F

Not just a swatch — here's how #42281F works with other colors. Named schemes with #42281F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #42281F 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 #42281F 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 #42281F Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17956 Accent #97976D 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 #42281F 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 #42281F Secondary #5C524E 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 #42281F 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 62/100

Warm

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

Softness 32/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 66/100

High

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

Naturalness 59/100

Moderate

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

Vintage feel 47/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 68/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 16/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 29/100

Low

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

Surface fit 52/100

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 #42281F

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #42281F with

Wine Red Espresso Gunmetal Gray 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 13.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E0D0CB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #42331F — 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 #42281F 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: #42281F;
  --color-base-rgb: 66 40 31;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(30.7% 0.042 39.9);
  --color-50: #FAF6F4;
  --color-100: #F2E7E3;
  --color-200: #E5CFC8;
  --color-300: #CFACA0;
  --color-400: #B78A7B;
  --color-500: #9A6B5B;
  --color-600: #77564A;
  --color-700: #564039;
  --color-800: #392C28;
  --color-900: #231C1A;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FAF6F4',
    100: '#F2E7E3',
    200: '#E5CFC8',
    300: '#CFACA0',
    400: '#B78A7B',
    500: '#9A6B5B',
    600: '#77564A',
    700: '#564039',
    800: '#392C28',
    900: '#231C1A',
  },
}

$base: #42281F;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF6F4;
$base-100: #F2E7E3;
$base-200: #E5CFC8;
$base-300: #CFACA0;
$base-400: #B78A7B;
$base-500: #9A6B5B;
$base-600: #77564A;
$base-700: #564039;
$base-800: #392C28;
$base-900: #231C1A;
$base-hover: #352019;
$base-subtle: #D2B9B0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#42281F",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF6F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F2E7E3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E5CFC8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CFACA0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B78A7B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#9A6B5B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#77564A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#564039",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#392C28",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231C1A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #42281F

Color Lab

Pairs with #42281F

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export