What color is #542E2E?

#542E2E is a dark, muted brown. In RGB it is rgb(84, 46, 46), and in HSL hsl(0, 29%, 25%).

Is #542E2E accessible as text?

On white, #542E2E has a contrast ratio of 11.62:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.81:1 (fails). For text placed on #542E2E, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #542E2E?

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

What colors go well with #542E2E?

#542E2E pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #2D5252. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #542E2E below.

Is #542E2E good for buttons?

#542E2E works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #542E2E — black text only reaches 1.81:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #542E2E the same as CSS maroon?

No — #542E2E 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.

#542E2E Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #542E2E

Not just a swatch — here's how #542E2E works with other colors. Named schemes with #542E2E in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #542E2E Secondary #B76327 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 #542E2E Secondary #7C4928 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #434F3A Anchor #5A222F

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 #542E2E Surface #E4CDA8 Secondary #B27958 Accent #99976D Anchor #3F2C21

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 #542E2E Surface #F0E8DC 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 #542E2E Secondary #6B5C5C Support #9B9087 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 #542E2E 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 52/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 56/100

Moderate

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

Luxury 66/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 22/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 43/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 45/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 94/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #542E2E

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #542E2E with

Eggplant Taupe Dark Slate Gray 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 11.6:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E1D1D1 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #523A2D — 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 #542E2E 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: #542E2E;
  --color-base-rgb: 84 46 46;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(35.0% 0.056 20.3);
  --color-50: #FAF5F5;
  --color-100: #F1E4E4;
  --color-200: #E2CACA;
  --color-300: #CAA5A5;
  --color-400: #B18181;
  --color-500: #946161;
  --color-600: #734F4F;
  --color-700: #533C3C;
  --color-800: #372929;
  --color-900: #231B1B;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  espresso: {
    50: '#FAF5F5',
    100: '#F1E4E4',
    200: '#E2CACA',
    300: '#CAA5A5',
    400: '#B18181',
    500: '#946161',
    600: '#734F4F',
    700: '#533C3C',
    800: '#372929',
    900: '#231B1B',
  },
}

$base: #542E2E;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FAF5F5;
$base-100: #F1E4E4;
$base-200: #E2CACA;
$base-300: #CAA5A5;
$base-400: #B18181;
$base-500: #946161;
$base-600: #734F4F;
$base-700: #533C3C;
$base-800: #372929;
$base-900: #231B1B;
$base-hover: #422424;
$base-subtle: #D2B9B9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#542E2E",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF5F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F1E4E4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E2CACA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CAA5A5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B18181",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#946161",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#734F4F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#533C3C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#372929",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#231B1B",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #542E2E

Color Lab

Pairs with #542E2E

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export