What color is #4E2E28?

#4E2E28 is a dark, muted brown. In RGB it is rgb(78, 46, 40), and in HSL hsl(9, 32%, 23%).

Is #4E2E28 accessible as text?

On white, #4E2E28 has a contrast ratio of 12.03:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.75:1 (fails). For text placed on #4E2E28, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #4E2E28?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is taupe-700 (#473C39).

What colors go well with #4E2E28?

#4E2E28 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #28484D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #4E2E28 below.

Is #4E2E28 good for buttons?

#4E2E28 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #4E2E28 — black text only reaches 1.75:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #4E2E28 the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #4E2E28 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.

#4E2E28 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #4E2E28

Not just a swatch — here's how #4E2E28 works with other colors. Named schemes with #4E2E28 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #4E2E28 Secondary #B76324 Accent #777743 Surface #F4EBDD Anchor #3B2A20

This palette keeps Espresso 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 #4E2E28 Secondary #7B4927 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #43503A Anchor #5A222E

Espresso 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 #4E2E28 Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17957 Accent #98976D Anchor #3E2C21

Espresso 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 #4E2E28 Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BBAEA0 Ink #2B2723

Espresso 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 #4E2E28 Secondary #675A58 Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Espresso 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 Espresso carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #4E2E28 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 64/100

Warm

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

Softness 34/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 63/100

High

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

Naturalness 60/100

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 66/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 19/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 38/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 48/100

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 #4E2E28

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #4E2E28 with

Eggplant Taupe Charcoal Gainsboro Espresso

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 12.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E1D1CF for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #4D3A28 — 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 #4E2E28 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

Northwind Sign up

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: #4E2E28;
  --color-base-rgb: 78 46 40;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(33.9% 0.049 31.3);
  --color-50: #FAF5F5;
  --color-100: #F2E6E4;
  --color-200: #E3CDC9;
  --color-300: #CCA9A3;
  --color-400: #B3867F;
  --color-500: #97675E;
  --color-600: #75534D;
  --color-700: #543E3A;
  --color-800: #382B29;
  --color-900: #231C1A;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  espresso: {
    50: '#FAF5F5',
    100: '#F2E6E4',
    200: '#E3CDC9',
    300: '#CCA9A3',
    400: '#B3867F',
    500: '#97675E',
    600: '#75534D',
    700: '#543E3A',
    800: '#382B29',
    900: '#231C1A',
  },
}

$base: #4E2E28;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF5F5;
$base-100: #F2E6E4;
$base-200: #E3CDC9;
$base-300: #CCA9A3;
$base-400: #B3867F;
$base-500: #97675E;
$base-600: #75534D;
$base-700: #543E3A;
$base-800: #382B29;
$base-900: #231C1A;
$base-hover: #3E2420;
$base-subtle: #D2BAB6;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#4E2E28",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF5F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F2E6E4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E3CDC9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CCA9A3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B3867F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#97675E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#75534D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#543E3A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#382B29",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231C1A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #4E2E28

Color Lab

Pairs with #4E2E28

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export