What color is #42291F?

#42291F is a dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(66, 41, 31), and in HSL hsl(17, 36%, 19%).

Is #42291F accessible as text?

On white, #42291F has a contrast ratio of 13.39:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.57:1 (fails). For text placed on #42291F, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #42291F?

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

What colors go well with #42291F?

#42291F pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1F3842. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #42291F below.

Is #42291F good for buttons?

#42291F works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #42291F — black text only reaches 1.57:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #42291F the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #42291F 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.

#42291F Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #42291F

Not just a swatch — here's how #42291F works with other colors. Named schemes with #42291F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #42291F Secondary #B66421 Accent #767844 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 #42291F Secondary #7B4926 Surface #E9D9C0 Accent #42503B Anchor #5B222C

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 #42291F Surface #E2CEA8 Secondary #B17A56 Accent #96976E 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 #42291F 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 #42291F Secondary #5C534F 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 #42291F 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 #42291F

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #42291F 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 13.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E0D1CB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #42351F — 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 #42291F 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: #42291F;
  --color-base-rgb: 66 41 31;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(30.9% 0.042 42.6);
  --color-50: #FAF6F4;
  --color-100: #F2E7E3;
  --color-200: #E5D0C8;
  --color-300: #CFAEA0;
  --color-400: #B78C7B;
  --color-500: #9A6D5B;
  --color-600: #77574A;
  --color-700: #564139;
  --color-800: #392D28;
  --color-900: #231C1A;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FAF6F4',
    100: '#F2E7E3',
    200: '#E5D0C8',
    300: '#CFAEA0',
    400: '#B78C7B',
    500: '#9A6D5B',
    600: '#77574A',
    700: '#564139',
    800: '#392D28',
    900: '#231C1A',
  },
}

$base: #42291F;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF6F4;
$base-100: #F2E7E3;
$base-200: #E5D0C8;
$base-300: #CFAEA0;
$base-400: #B78C7B;
$base-500: #9A6D5B;
$base-600: #77574A;
$base-700: #564139;
$base-800: #392D28;
$base-900: #231C1A;
$base-hover: #352119;
$base-subtle: #D2BAB0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#42291F",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF6F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F2E7E3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E5D0C8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CFAEA0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B78C7B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#9A6D5B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#77574A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#564139",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#392D28",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231C1A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #42291F

Color Lab

Pairs with #42291F

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export