What color is #859985?

#859985 is a medium low-chroma cool gray with a subtle cool cast. In RGB it is rgb(133, 153, 133), and in HSL hsl(120, 9%, 56%).

Is #859985 accessible as text?

On white, #859985 has a contrast ratio of 3.05:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 6.89:1 (passes). For text placed on #859985, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #859985?

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

What colors go well with #859985?

As a neutral, #859985 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 #859985 the same as CSS cadetblue?

No — #859985 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.

#859985 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #859985

Not just a swatch — here's how #859985 works with other colors. Named schemes with #859985 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #859985 Surface #EEE9DC Highlight #F5F1E7 Secondary #B6B09F Ink #2B2723

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.

Botanical Studio Lead · 5 colors

Lead #859985 Secondary #4C6B3C Accent #AD6C00 Surface #EEEAD6 Anchor #3C2F20

Pewter leads this botanical set among foliage greens and a terracotta accent, softened by cream and grounded in bark brown.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #859985 Accent #A8C4BA Surface #E2D9BE Secondary #9AA09F Anchor #1A3648

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

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #859985 Surface #DDD0A8 Secondary #AA7E4E Accent #8B9B74 Anchor #3C2D1E

Pewter holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #859985 Secondary #B9C0B9 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.

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Color Lab

How #859985 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 49/100

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

Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.

Naturalness 51/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 47/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 38/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 14/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 48/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 57/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 92/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #859985

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #859985 with

Dark Gray Pewter Cool Gray 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 #E7EAE7 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #85998B — 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 #859985 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: #859985;
  --color-base-rgb: 133 153 133;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(66.1% 0.037 145.1);
  --color-50: #F7F8F7;
  --color-100: #E9EDE9;
  --color-200: #D3DAD3;
  --color-300: #B2BDB2;
  --color-400: #92A092;
  --color-500: #728272;
  --color-600: #5B675B;
  --color-700: #444B44;
  --color-800: #2E332E;
  --color-900: #1D201D;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  pewter: {
    50: '#F7F8F7',
    100: '#E9EDE9',
    200: '#D3DAD3',
    300: '#B2BDB2',
    400: '#92A092',
    500: '#728272',
    600: '#5B675B',
    700: '#444B44',
    800: '#2E332E',
    900: '#1D201D',
  },
}

$base: #859985;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F7F8F7;
$base-100: #E9EDE9;
$base-200: #D3DAD3;
$base-300: #B2BDB2;
$base-400: #92A092;
$base-500: #728272;
$base-600: #5B675B;
$base-700: #444B44;
$base-800: #2E332E;
$base-900: #1D201D;
$base-hover: #687D68;
$base-subtle: #DBE0DB;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#859985",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F7F8F7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E9EDE9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#D3DAD3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#B2BDB2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#92A092",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#728272",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#5B675B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#444B44",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2E332E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1D201D",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #859985

Color Lab

Pairs with #859985

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export