What color is #50231B?

#50231B is a dark reddish brown. In RGB it is rgb(80, 35, 27), and in HSL hsl(9, 50%, 21%).

Is #50231B accessible as text?

On white, #50231B has a contrast ratio of 13.15:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.60:1 (fails). For text placed on #50231B, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #50231B?

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

What colors go well with #50231B?

#50231B pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1B4850. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #50231B below.

Is #50231B good for buttons?

#50231B works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #50231B — black text only reaches 1.60:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #50231B the same as CSS maroon?

No — #50231B 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.

#50231B Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #50231B

Not just a swatch — here's how #50231B works with other colors. Named schemes with #50231B in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #50231B Secondary #B76324 Accent #777743 Surface #F4EBDD 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 #50231B 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 #50231B Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17957 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 #50231B 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 #50231B Secondary #64534F 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 #50231B 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 70/100

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 82/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 58/100

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 37/100

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 #50231B

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #50231B with

Wine Red 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 13.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E5CDC8 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #50351B — 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 #50231B at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Build faster.

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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: #50231B;
  --color-base-rgb: 80 35 27;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(31.8% 0.070 31.6);
  --color-50: #FCF4F3;
  --color-100: #F5E3E0;
  --color-200: #EBC8C2;
  --color-300: #D8A197;
  --color-400: #C27C70;
  --color-500: #A65C4E;
  --color-600: #804B42;
  --color-700: #5C3933;
  --color-800: #3C2824;
  --color-900: #251A18;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  bistre: {
    50: '#FCF4F3',
    100: '#F5E3E0',
    200: '#EBC8C2',
    300: '#D8A197',
    400: '#C27C70',
    500: '#A65C4E',
    600: '#804B42',
    700: '#5C3933',
    800: '#3C2824',
    900: '#251A18',
  },
}

$base: #50231B;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FCF4F3;
$base-100: #F5E3E0;
$base-200: #EBC8C2;
$base-300: #D8A197;
$base-400: #C27C70;
$base-500: #A65C4E;
$base-600: #804B42;
$base-700: #5C3933;
$base-800: #3C2824;
$base-900: #251A18;
$base-hover: #401C15;
$base-subtle: #DAB2AC;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#50231B",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FCF4F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F5E3E0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#EBC8C2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D8A197",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C27C70",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A65C4E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#804B42",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5C3933",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3C2824",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#251A18",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}