What color is #81ACA0?

#81ACA0 is a medium, muted teal-green. In RGB it is rgb(129, 172, 160), and in HSL hsl(163, 21%, 59%).

Is #81ACA0 accessible as text?

On white, #81ACA0 has a contrast ratio of 2.52:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 8.34:1 (passes). For text placed on #81ACA0, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #81ACA0?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is mist-400 (#9CA8AB).

What colors go well with #81ACA0?

#81ACA0 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #AC808D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #81ACA0 below.

Is #81ACA0 good for buttons?

#81ACA0 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #81ACA0 — white text only reaches 2.52:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #81ACA0 the same as CSS darkgray?

No — #81ACA0 is not the CSS named color darkgray, but darkgray (#A9A9A9) 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.

#81ACA0 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #81ACA0

Not just a swatch — here's how #81ACA0 works with other colors. Named schemes with #81ACA0 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #81ACA0 Secondary #ADB4B7 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7994A4 Anchor #2D3236

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #81ACA0 Surface #EDEADC Highlight #F5F1E7 Secondary #B5B19F Ink #2A2723

Cadet Grey 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 #81ACA0 Accent #A7C4BC Surface #E0D9BE Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1B3549

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #81ACA0 Secondary #C3D2CD Support #989286 Ink #16140F

Cadet Grey 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 Cadet Grey carrying the quiet middle.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #81ACA0 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #586771 Accent #AAD1C6

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

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Color Lab

How #81ACA0 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 41/100

Neutral

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

Softness 66/100

High

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

Depth 28/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 27/100

Low

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 41/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 34/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 19/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 41/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 57/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 90/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #81ACA0

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #81ACA0 with

Laurel Green Cadet Grey Rose Gold Platinum Dark Slate Gray

UI roles & guardrails

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

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

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 7.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E7EDEB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #80AAAC — 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 #81ACA0 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: #81ACA0;
  --color-base-rgb: 129 172 160;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(71.0% 0.050 175.8);
  --color-50: #F6F9F8;
  --color-100: #E6EFED;
  --color-200: #CEDFDA;
  --color-300: #AAC5BD;
  --color-400: #88AAA1;
  --color-500: #688D82;
  --color-600: #546E67;
  --color-700: #3F504B;
  --color-800: #2B3533;
  --color-900: #1C2120;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  cadet-grey: {
    50: '#F6F9F8',
    100: '#E6EFED',
    200: '#CEDFDA',
    300: '#AAC5BD',
    400: '#88AAA1',
    500: '#688D82',
    600: '#546E67',
    700: '#3F504B',
    800: '#2B3533',
    900: '#1C2120',
  },
}

$base: #81ACA0;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F6F9F8;
$base-100: #E6EFED;
$base-200: #CEDFDA;
$base-300: #AAC5BD;
$base-400: #88AAA1;
$base-500: #688D82;
$base-600: #546E67;
$base-700: #3F504B;
$base-800: #2B3533;
$base-900: #1C2120;
$base-hover: #5F9283;
$base-subtle: #DBE5E2;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#81ACA0",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F6F9F8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E6EFED",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CEDFDA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#AAC5BD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#88AAA1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#688D82",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#546E67",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3F504B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2B3533",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1C2120",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #81ACA0

Color Lab

Pairs with #81ACA0

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export