What color is #81998E?

#81998E is a medium low-chroma cool gray with a subtle cool cast. In RGB it is rgb(129, 153, 142), and in HSL hsl(153, 11%, 55%).

Is #81998E accessible as text?

On white, #81998E has a contrast ratio of 3.05:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 6.88:1 (passes). For text placed on #81998E, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #81998E?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is neutral-400 (#A1A1A1).

What colors go well with #81998E?

As a neutral, #81998E pairs cleanly with either light or dark text depending on the surface, and sits under accent hues like blue, violet, emerald or warm orange — use it as a muted neutral, divider, icon or disabled-state color and let the accent carry the color.

Is #81998E the same as CSS cadetblue?

No — #81998E is not the CSS named color cadetblue, but cadetblue (#5F9EA0) 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.

#81998E Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #81998E

Not just a swatch — here's how #81998E works with other colors. Named schemes with #81998E in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #81998E Surface #EDEADC Highlight #F5F1E7 Secondary #B6B09F Ink #2A2723

Pewter 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.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #81998E Accent #A7C4BB Surface #E1D9BE Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1B3548

Pewter opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #81998E Secondary #ADB4B7 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7895A3 Anchor #2D3236

Pewter keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #81998E Secondary #B8C0BC Support #989286 Ink #17140F

Pewter 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 Pewter carrying the quiet middle.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #81998E Surface #13161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #586771 Accent #A8BEB3

Pewter is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Pewter.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #81998E 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 46/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 64/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 32/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 28/100

Low

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 41/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 38/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 12/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 46/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 58/100

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 #81998E

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #81998E with

Sage Pewter Battleship Grey Platinum Outer Space

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass

Background Pair with #141310 text at 6.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E6EAE8 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #809996 — 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 #81998E 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: #81998E;
  --color-base-rgb: 129 153 142;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(66.1% 0.032 166.0);
  --color-50: #F6F8F7;
  --color-100: #E8EDEB;
  --color-200: #D2DBD7;
  --color-300: #B1BFB8;
  --color-400: #90A29A;
  --color-500: #71847B;
  --color-600: #5A6862;
  --color-700: #434C48;
  --color-800: #2E3331;
  --color-900: #1D201F;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  pewter: {
    50: '#F6F8F7',
    100: '#E8EDEB',
    200: '#D2DBD7',
    300: '#B1BFB8',
    400: '#90A29A',
    500: '#71847B',
    600: '#5A6862',
    700: '#434C48',
    800: '#2E3331',
    900: '#1D201F',
  },
}

$base: #81998E;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F6F8F7;
$base-100: #E8EDEB;
$base-200: #D2DBD7;
$base-300: #B1BFB8;
$base-400: #90A29A;
$base-500: #71847B;
$base-600: #5A6862;
$base-700: #434C48;
$base-800: #2E3331;
$base-900: #1D201F;
$base-hover: #647D71;
$base-subtle: #DADFDD;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#81998E",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F6F8F7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E8EDEB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#D2DBD7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#B1BFB8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#90A29A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#71847B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#5A6862",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#434C48",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2E3331",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1D201F",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #81998E

Color Lab

Pairs with #81998E

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export