What color is #552B20?

#552B20 is a dark reddish brown. In RGB it is rgb(85, 43, 32), and in HSL hsl(12, 45%, 23%).

Is #552B20 accessible as text?

On white, #552B20 has a contrast ratio of 11.98:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.75:1 (fails). For text placed on #552B20, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #552B20?

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

What colors go well with #552B20?

#552B20 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #204A55. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #552B20 below.

Is #552B20 good for buttons?

#552B20 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #552B20 — black text only reaches 1.75:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #552B20 the same as CSS maroon?

No — #552B20 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.

#552B20 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #552B20

Not just a swatch — here's how #552B20 works with other colors. Named schemes with #552B20 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #552B20 Secondary #B66423 Accent #767743 Surface #F4ECDD 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 #552B20 Secondary #7B4926 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #42503A Anchor #5A222D

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 #552B20 Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17957 Accent #97976D Anchor #3E2C20

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 #552B20 Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BBAE9F 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 #552B20 Secondary #6A5A55 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 #552B20 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 69/100

Warm

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

Softness 33/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 64/100

High

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

Naturalness 83/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 60/100

Moderate

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

Luxury 68/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 25/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 43/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 43/100

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 #552B20

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #552B20 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 12.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E4D0CB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #553C20 — 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 #552B20 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: #552B20;
  --color-base-rgb: 85 43 32;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(34.2% 0.065 35.6);
  --color-50: #FBF5F4;
  --color-100: #F4E5E1;
  --color-200: #E8CBC4;
  --color-300: #D5A69B;
  --color-400: #BE8374;
  --color-500: #A26353;
  --color-600: #7D5045;
  --color-700: #5A3D35;
  --color-800: #3B2A26;
  --color-900: #251B19;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  espresso: {
    50: '#FBF5F4',
    100: '#F4E5E1',
    200: '#E8CBC4',
    300: '#D5A69B',
    400: '#BE8374',
    500: '#A26353',
    600: '#7D5045',
    700: '#5A3D35',
    800: '#3B2A26',
    900: '#251B19',
  },
}

$base: #552B20;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FBF5F4;
$base-100: #F4E5E1;
$base-200: #E8CBC4;
$base-300: #D5A69B;
$base-400: #BE8374;
$base-500: #A26353;
$base-600: #7D5045;
$base-700: #5A3D35;
$base-800: #3B2A26;
$base-900: #251B19;
$base-hover: #44221A;
$base-subtle: #D8B8B0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#552B20",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FBF5F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F4E5E1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E8CBC4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D5A69B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#BE8374",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A26353",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#7D5045",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5A3D35",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3B2A26",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#251B19",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #552B20

Color Lab

Pairs with #552B20

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export