What color is #51312E?

#51312E is a dark, muted brown. In RGB it is rgb(81, 49, 46), and in HSL hsl(5, 28%, 25%).

Is #51312E accessible as text?

On white, #51312E has a contrast ratio of 11.48:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.83:1 (fails). For text placed on #51312E, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #51312E?

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

What colors go well with #51312E?

#51312E pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #2E4F52. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #51312E below.

Is #51312E good for buttons?

#51312E works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #51312E — black text only reaches 1.83:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #51312E the same as CSS darkslategray?

No — #51312E 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.

#51312E Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #51312E

Not just a swatch — here's how #51312E works with other colors. Named schemes with #51312E in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #51312E Secondary #B76326 Accent #787742 Surface #F4EBDD Anchor #3B2A21

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 #51312E 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 #51312E Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17958 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 #51312E 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 #51312E Secondary #6A5D5C 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.

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Color Lab

How #51312E 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 63/100

Warm

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

Softness 35/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 62/100

High

Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.

Naturalness 52/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 54/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 65/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 18/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 40/100

Moderate

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 #51312E

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #51312E with

Eggplant Taupe Dark Slate Gray 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 11.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E0D2D1 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #523D2E — 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 #51312E 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: #51312E;
  --color-base-rgb: 81 49 46;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(35.1% 0.047 25.6);
  --color-50: #FAF5F5;
  --color-100: #F1E6E5;
  --color-200: #E2CDCB;
  --color-300: #CAA9A6;
  --color-400: #B08682;
  --color-500: #936662;
  --color-600: #72524F;
  --color-700: #533E3C;
  --color-800: #372B2A;
  --color-900: #221B1B;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  espresso: {
    50: '#FAF5F5',
    100: '#F1E6E5',
    200: '#E2CDCB',
    300: '#CAA9A6',
    400: '#B08682',
    500: '#936662',
    600: '#72524F',
    700: '#533E3C',
    800: '#372B2A',
    900: '#221B1B',
  },
}

$base: #51312E;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF5F5;
$base-100: #F1E6E5;
$base-200: #E2CDCB;
$base-300: #CAA9A6;
$base-400: #B08682;
$base-500: #936662;
$base-600: #72524F;
$base-700: #533E3C;
$base-800: #372B2A;
$base-900: #221B1B;
$base-hover: #412725;
$base-subtle: #D2BBB9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#51312E",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF5F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F1E6E5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E2CDCB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CAA9A6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B08682",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#936662",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#72524F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#533E3C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#372B2A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#221B1B",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #51312E

Color Lab

Pairs with #51312E

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export