What color is #552D23?

#552D23 is a dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(85, 45, 35), and in HSL hsl(12, 42%, 24%).

Is #552D23 accessible as text?

On white, #552D23 has a contrast ratio of 11.76:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.79:1 (fails). For text placed on #552D23, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #552D23?

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

What colors go well with #552D23?

#552D23 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #234D57. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #552D23 below.

Is #552D23 good for buttons?

#552D23 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #552D23 — black text only reaches 1.79:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #552D23 the same as CSS maroon?

No — #552D23 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.

#552D23 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #552D23

Not just a swatch — here's how #552D23 works with other colors. Named schemes with #552D23 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #552D23 Secondary #B76423 Accent #777743 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 #552D23 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 #552D23 Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17957 Accent #97976D 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 #552D23 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 #552D23 Secondary #6B5B57 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 #552D23 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 68/100

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 78/100

High

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

Vintage feel 59/100

Moderate

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

Luxury 67/100

High

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

Brand distinctiveness 24/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 43/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 44/100

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 #552D23

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #552D23 with

Wine Red Army Green Dark Slate Gray 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 11.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E4D1CD for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #573F23 — 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 #552D23 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: #552D23;
  --color-base-rgb: 85 45 35;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(34.6% 0.062 35.0);
  --color-50: #FBF5F4;
  --color-100: #F4E5E2;
  --color-200: #E7CCC5;
  --color-300: #D3A79C;
  --color-400: #BC8476;
  --color-500: #9F6455;
  --color-600: #7B5147;
  --color-700: #583D36;
  --color-800: #3B2A26;
  --color-900: #241B19;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  espresso: {
    50: '#FBF5F4',
    100: '#F4E5E2',
    200: '#E7CCC5',
    300: '#D3A79C',
    400: '#BC8476',
    500: '#9F6455',
    600: '#7B5147',
    700: '#583D36',
    800: '#3B2A26',
    900: '#241B19',
  },
}

$base: #552D23;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FBF5F4;
$base-100: #F4E5E2;
$base-200: #E7CCC5;
$base-300: #D3A79C;
$base-400: #BC8476;
$base-500: #9F6455;
$base-600: #7B5147;
$base-700: #583D36;
$base-800: #3B2A26;
$base-900: #241B19;
$base-hover: #46251C;
$base-subtle: #D7BAB2;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#552D23",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FBF5F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F4E5E2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E7CCC5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D3A79C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#BC8476",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#9F6455",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#7B5147",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#583D36",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3B2A26",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#241B19",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #552D23

Color Lab

Pairs with #552D23

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export