Nearest named color: Ash Gray
#AFBCB8
#AFBCB8
Nearest named
Ash Gray
Family
Gray
Lightness
78.4%
Chroma
0.015
Hue angle
175.6°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
1.96:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
9.47:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#99CCCC
CSS oklch()
78% 0.02 176

#AFBCB8 is a light 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 is too pale to lead as a primary accent.

Palettes built on #AFBCB8

Not just a swatch — here's how #AFBCB8 works with other colors. Named schemes with #AFBCB8 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors
Base #AFBCB8 Surface #EDEADC Highlight #F5F1E7 Secondary #B5B19F Ink #2A2723

Ash Gray 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 #AFBCB8 Accent #A7C4BC Surface #E0D9BE Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1B3549

Ash Gray 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
Signal #AFBCB8 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #586771 Accent #D6E2DF

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors
Accent #AFBCB8 Secondary #ADB4B7 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7994A4 Anchor #2D3236

Ash Gray 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 #AFBCB8 Secondary #E2E7E6 Support #989286 Ink #16140F

Ash Gray 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 Ash Gray carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #AFBCB8 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 78/100
High
Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.
Depth 20/100
Low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 13/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 27/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 26/100
Low
Understated — leans refined without going austere.
Brand distinctiveness 6/100
Very low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 17/100
Very low
Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.
Surface fit 75/100
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 #AFBCB8

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #AFBCB8 with
Pastel Gray Ash Gray Dark Gray Platinum Outer Space

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 9.5:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #EFF1F1 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #AEBBBC — 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 #AFBCB8 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
50 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #AFBCB8;
  --color-base-rgb: 175 188 184;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(78.4% 0.015 175.6);
  --color-50: #F7F8F8;
  --color-100: #E9EDEB;
  --color-200: #D3DAD8;
  --color-300: #B2BDBA;
  --color-400: #92A09C;
  --color-500: #72827E;
  --color-600: #5B6763;
  --color-700: #444B49;
  --color-800: #2E3331;
  --color-900: #1D201F;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}