Nearest named color: Ash Gray
#AFBCBC
#AFBCBC
Nearest named
Ash Gray
Family
Gray
Lightness
78.5%
Chroma
0.014
Hue angle
196.9°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
1.95:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
9.50:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#99CCCC
CSS oklch()
79% 0.01 197

#AFBCBC 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 #AFBCBC

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors
Base #AFBCBC Surface #EDEADC Highlight #F5F2E7 Secondary #B4B19F 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 #AFBCBC Accent #A6C4BD Surface #E0DABE Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1D3549

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 #AFBCBC Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #596771 Accent #D6E2E2

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 #AFBCBC Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7A94A5 Anchor #2E3236

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 #F6F4EF Accent #AFBCBC Secondary #E3E7E7 Support #979286 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 #AFBCBC 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 46/100
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 4/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 24/100
Low
Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.
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 96/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #AFBCBC

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #AFBCBC 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 #AEB7BC — 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 #AFBCBC at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI
Northwind Sign up
Build faster.
A working theme, generated in seconds.
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: #AFBCBC;
  --color-base-rgb: 175 188 188;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(78.5% 0.014 196.9);
  --color-50: #F7F8F8;
  --color-100: #E9EDED;
  --color-200: #D3DADA;
  --color-300: #B2BDBD;
  --color-400: #92A0A0;
  --color-500: #728282;
  --color-600: #5B6767;
  --color-700: #444B4B;
  --color-800: #2E3333;
  --color-900: #1D2020;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}