Nearest named color: Pewter
#87978F
#87978F
Nearest named
Pewter
Family
Gray
Lightness
66.1%
Chroma
0.022
Hue angle
164.3°
Temperature
Neutral-leaning
Contrast on white
3.06:1 · AA Large
Contrast on black
6.06:1 · AA
Web-safe
#999999
CSS oklch()
66% 0.02 164

#87978F is a mid neutral with only a whisper of temperate cast. On the Color Lab it reads restrained and easy to live with. It holds up as a large surface and reproduces cleanly in print.

Palettes built on #87978F

Not just a swatch — here's how #87978F works with other colors. Named schemes with #87978F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

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

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

Botanical Studio Lead · 5 colors

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

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

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 #87978F 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 47/100
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 32/100
Low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 24/100
Low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 38/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 37/100
Low
Understated — leans refined without going austere.
Brand distinctiveness 8/100
Very low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 42/100
Moderate
Workable accent with care around contrast.
Surface fit 61/100
High
Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.
Print safety 96/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #87978F

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #87978F with

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 #E7EAE9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #879794 — 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 #87978F 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

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #87978F;
  --color-base-rgb: 135 151 143;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(66.1% 0.022 164.3);
  --color-50: #F7F8F7;
  --color-100: #E9ECEB;
  --color-200: #D3D9D6;
  --color-300: #B3BCB8;
  --color-400: #939F99;
  --color-500: #74817A;
  --color-600: #5D6561;
  --color-700: #454A47;
  --color-800: #2F3230;
  --color-900: #1D201F;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}