What color is #552E19?

#552E19 is a dark brown. In RGB it is rgb(85, 46, 25), and in HSL hsl(21, 55%, 22%).

Is #552E19 accessible as text?

On white, #552E19 has a contrast ratio of 11.72:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.79:1 (fails). For text placed on #552E19, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #552E19?

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

What colors go well with #552E19?

#552E19 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #194157. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #552E19 below.

Is #552E19 good for buttons?

#552E19 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #552E19 — black text only reaches 1.79:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #552E19 the same as CSS maroon?

No — #552E19 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.

#552E19 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #552E19

Not just a swatch — here's how #552E19 works with other colors. Named schemes with #552E19 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #552E19 Secondary #B66420 Accent #757844 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 #552E19 Secondary #7A4A25 Surface #E9D9C0 Accent #42503B Anchor #5B222C

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 #552E19 Surface #E2CEA8 Secondary #B07A56 Accent #96986E 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 #552E19 Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #BAAE9F 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 #552E19 Secondary #6B5C54 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 #552E19 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 33/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 63/100

High

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

Naturalness 88/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 61/100

High

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

Luxury 67/100

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 45/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 42/100

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 #552E19

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #552E19 with

Wine Red Army Green Charcoal Greige 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 11.7:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E7D2C7 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #574319 — 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 #552E19 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: #552E19;
  --color-base-rgb: 85 46 25;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(34.7% 0.066 47.8);
  --color-50: #FCF6F3;
  --color-100: #F6E7DF;
  --color-200: #EDCFC0;
  --color-300: #DBAD94;
  --color-400: #C78B6B;
  --color-500: #AB6C4A;
  --color-600: #83573F;
  --color-700: #5E4131;
  --color-800: #3E2C23;
  --color-900: #261C17;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  espresso: {
    50: '#FCF6F3',
    100: '#F6E7DF',
    200: '#EDCFC0',
    300: '#DBAD94',
    400: '#C78B6B',
    500: '#AB6C4A',
    600: '#83573F',
    700: '#5E4131',
    800: '#3E2C23',
    900: '#261C17',
  },
}

$base: #552E19;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FCF6F3;
$base-100: #F6E7DF;
$base-200: #EDCFC0;
$base-300: #DBAD94;
$base-400: #C78B6B;
$base-500: #AB6C4A;
$base-600: #83573F;
$base-700: #5E4131;
$base-800: #3E2C23;
$base-900: #261C17;
$base-hover: #462514;
$base-subtle: #DCBCAA;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#552E19",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FCF6F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F6E7DF",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#EDCFC0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#DBAD94",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C78B6B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#AB6C4A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#83573F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5E4131",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3E2C23",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#261C17",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #552E19

Color Lab

Pairs with #552E19

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export