Nearest named color: Cadet Grey
#9A9AA8
#9A9AA8
Nearest named
Cadet Grey
Family
Gray
Lightness
69.1%
Chroma
0.020
Hue angle
285.9°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
2.78:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
6.69:1 · AA
Web-safe
#999999
CSS oklch()
69% 0.02 286

#9A9AA8 is a mid neutral with only a whisper of temperate cast. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered, restrained and easy to live with. It holds up as a large surface and reproduces cleanly in print.

Palettes built on #9A9AA8

Not just a swatch — here's how #9A9AA8 works with other colors. Named schemes with #9A9AA8 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

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

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

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

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.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Cadet Grey 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

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.

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Color Lab

How #9A9AA8 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 69/100
High
Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.
Depth 29/100
Low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 0/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 34/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 35/100
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 36/100
Low
Workable accent with care around contrast.
Surface fit 64/100
High
Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.
Print safety 97/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9A9AA8

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #9A9AA8 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 Only on dark surfaces. Avoid
Background Pair with #141310 text at 6.7:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #EBEBED for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #9E9AA7 — 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 #9A9AA8 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: #9A9AA8;
  --color-base-rgb: 154 154 168;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(69.1% 0.020 285.9);
  --color-50: #F7F7F8;
  --color-100: #E9E9EC;
  --color-200: #D3D3D9;
  --color-300: #B3B3BC;
  --color-400: #93939F;
  --color-500: #747481;
  --color-600: #5D5D65;
  --color-700: #45454A;
  --color-800: #2F2F32;
  --color-900: #1D1D20;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}