What color is #4E281C?

#4E281C is a dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(78, 40, 28), and in HSL hsl(14, 47%, 21%).

Is #4E281C accessible as text?

On white, #4E281C has a contrast ratio of 12.77:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.64:1 (fails). For text placed on #4E281C, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #4E281C?

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

What colors go well with #4E281C?

#4E281C pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1C434F. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #4E281C below.

Is #4E281C good for buttons?

#4E281C works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #4E281C — black text only reaches 1.64:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #4E281C the same as CSS maroon?

No — #4E281C 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.

#4E281C Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #4E281C

Not just a swatch — here's how #4E281C works with other colors. Named schemes with #4E281C in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #4E281C 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 #4E281C 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 #4E281C Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17957 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 #4E281C 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 #4E281C Secondary #645551 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 #4E281C 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 68/100

Warm

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

Softness 32/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 65/100

High

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

Naturalness 80/100

High

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

Vintage feel 56/100

Moderate

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

Luxury 69/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 23/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 37/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 45/100

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 #4E281C

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #4E281C with

Wine Red Army Green Charcoal Gainsboro 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 12.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E4CFC9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #4F391C — 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 #4E281C at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Build faster.

A working theme, generated in seconds.

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: #4E281C;
  --color-base-rgb: 78 40 28;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(32.4% 0.061 38.3);
  --color-50: #FBF5F3;
  --color-100: #F5E5E0;
  --color-200: #E9CCC3;
  --color-300: #D6A799;
  --color-400: #C08472;
  --color-500: #A46451;
  --color-600: #7E5144;
  --color-700: #5A3D34;
  --color-800: #3C2A25;
  --color-900: #251B18;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FBF5F3',
    100: '#F5E5E0',
    200: '#E9CCC3',
    300: '#D6A799',
    400: '#C08472',
    500: '#A46451',
    600: '#7E5144',
    700: '#5A3D34',
    800: '#3C2A25',
    900: '#251B18',
  },
}

$base: #4E281C;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FBF5F3;
$base-100: #F5E5E0;
$base-200: #E9CCC3;
$base-300: #D6A799;
$base-400: #C08472;
$base-500: #A46451;
$base-600: #7E5144;
$base-700: #5A3D34;
$base-800: #3C2A25;
$base-900: #251B18;
$base-hover: #3F2017;
$base-subtle: #D8B7AD;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#4E281C",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FBF5F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F5E5E0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E9CCC3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D6A799",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C08472",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A46451",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#7E5144",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5A3D34",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3C2A25",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#251B18",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #4E281C

Color Lab

Pairs with #4E281C

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export