What color is #481D18?

#481D18 is a dark reddish brown. In RGB it is rgb(72, 29, 24), and in HSL hsl(6, 50%, 19%).

Is #481D18 accessible as text?

On white, #481D18 has a contrast ratio of 14.34:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.46:1 (fails). For text placed on #481D18, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #481D18?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is amber-950 (#461901).

What colors go well with #481D18?

#481D18 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #184449. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #481D18 below.

Is #481D18 good for buttons?

#481D18 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #481D18 — black text only reaches 1.46:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #481D18 the same as CSS maroon?

No — #481D18 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.

#481D18 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #481D18

Not just a swatch — here's how #481D18 works with other colors. Named schemes with #481D18 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #481D18 Secondary #B76325 Accent #777743 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 #481D18 Secondary #7B4927 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 #481D18 Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17958 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 #481D18 Surface #F0E9DC 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 #481D18 Secondary #5D4C49 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.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #481D18 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 69/100

Warm

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

Softness 29/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 69/100

High

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

Naturalness 75/100

High

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

Vintage feel 53/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 72/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 26/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 30/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 46/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 93/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #481D18

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #481D18 with

Tyrian Purple Espresso Charcoal 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 14.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E5CAC7 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #492D18 — 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 #481D18 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: #481D18;
  --color-base-rgb: 72 29 24;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(29.3% 0.067 28.6);
  --color-50: #FCF4F3;
  --color-100: #F5E2E0;
  --color-200: #EBC6C2;
  --color-300: #D89E97;
  --color-400: #C27870;
  --color-500: #A6574E;
  --color-600: #804842;
  --color-700: #5C3733;
  --color-800: #3C2724;
  --color-900: #251918;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FCF4F3',
    100: '#F5E2E0',
    200: '#EBC6C2',
    300: '#D89E97',
    400: '#C27870',
    500: '#A6574E',
    600: '#804842',
    700: '#5C3733',
    800: '#3C2724',
    900: '#251918',
  },
}

$base: #481D18;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FCF4F3;
$base-100: #F5E2E0;
$base-200: #EBC6C2;
$base-300: #D89E97;
$base-400: #C27870;
$base-500: #A6574E;
$base-600: #804842;
$base-700: #5C3733;
$base-800: #3C2724;
$base-900: #251918;
$base-hover: #3A1713;
$base-subtle: #D9AEA9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#481D18",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FCF4F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F5E2E0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#EBC6C2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D89E97",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C27870",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A6574E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#804842",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5C3733",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3C2724",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#251918",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #481D18

Color Lab

Pairs with #481D18

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export