What color is #4E280B?

#4E280B is a very dark, vivid brown. In RGB it is rgb(78, 40, 11), and in HSL hsl(26, 75%, 17%).

Is #4E280B accessible as text?

On white, #4E280B has a contrast ratio of 12.87:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.63:1 (fails). For text placed on #4E280B, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #4E280B?

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

What colors go well with #4E280B?

#4E280B pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #0B304C. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #4E280B below.

Is #4E280B good for buttons?

#4E280B works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #4E280B — black text only reaches 1.63:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #4E280B the same as CSS maroon?

No — #4E280B 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.

#4E280B Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #4E280B

Not just a swatch — here's how #4E280B works with other colors. Named schemes with #4E280B in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #4E280B Secondary #B5651E Accent #747844 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 #4E280B Secondary #7A4A24 Surface #E9DAC0 Accent #41503B Anchor #5B222B

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 #4E280B Surface #E2CEA8 Secondary #B07A55 Accent #95986E 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 #4E280B Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #BAAF9F 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 #4E280B Secondary #64554C 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 #4E280B 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 71/100

Warm

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

Softness 31/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 66/100

High

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

Naturalness 88/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 59/100

Moderate

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 70/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 27/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 39/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 43/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 92/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #4E280B

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #4E280B with

Burgundy Army Green Prussian Blue 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 12.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #ECD2BE for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #4C3D0B — 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 #4E280B 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: #4E280B;
  --color-base-rgb: 78 40 11;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(32.2% 0.070 53.9);
  --color-50: #FEF7F1;
  --color-100: #FBE8DA;
  --color-200: #F5D2B8;
  --color-300: #E8B187;
  --color-400: #D7915B;
  --color-500: #BC7238;
  --color-600: #905B32;
  --color-700: #664329;
  --color-800: #422E1E;
  --color-900: #291D14;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FEF7F1',
    100: '#FBE8DA',
    200: '#F5D2B8',
    300: '#E8B187',
    400: '#D7915B',
    500: '#BC7238',
    600: '#905B32',
    700: '#664329',
    800: '#422E1E',
    900: '#291D14',
  },
}

$base: #4E280B;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FEF7F1;
$base-100: #FBE8DA;
$base-200: #F5D2B8;
$base-300: #E8B187;
$base-400: #D7915B;
$base-500: #BC7238;
$base-600: #905B32;
$base-700: #664329;
$base-800: #422E1E;
$base-900: #291D14;
$base-hover: #3D1F09;
$base-subtle: #E4BB9B;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#4E280B",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF7F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FBE8DA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F5D2B8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#E8B187",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#D7915B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#BC7238",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#905B32",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#664329",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#422E1E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#291D14",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}