What color is #BBBB96?

#BBBB96 is a light, muted yellow. In RGB it is rgb(187, 187, 150), and in HSL hsl(60, 21%, 66%).

Is #BBBB96 accessible as text?

On white, #BBBB96 has a contrast ratio of 1.97:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.66:1 (passes). For text placed on #BBBB96, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BBBB96?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is olive-400 (#ABAB9C).

What colors go well with #BBBB96?

#BBBB96 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #9696BB. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BBBB96 below.

Is #BBBB96 good for buttons?

#BBBB96 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BBBB96 — white text only reaches 1.97:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BBBB96 the same as CSS tan?

No — #BBBB96 is not the CSS named color tan, but tan (#D2B48C) 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.

#BBBB96 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BBBB96

Not just a swatch — here's how #BBBB96 works with other colors. Named schemes with #BBBB96 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #BBBB96 Secondary #B16909 Accent #6D7A49 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3A2B1F

This palette keeps Laurel Green as the dominant warm neutral, balanced by muted terracotta and olive earth tones and grounded by a deep espresso anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #BBBB96 Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8AF9F Ink #2B2723

Laurel Green 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 #BBBB96 Secondary #526A37 Accent #B16909 Surface #EFE9D6 Anchor #3D2F21

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

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #BBBB96 Surface #DFCFA8 Secondary #AD7C50 Accent #909A71 Anchor #3D2D1F

Laurel Green 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 #BBBB96 Secondary #E6E6D9 Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Laurel Green 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 Laurel Green carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BBBB96 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 58/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 72/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 21/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 46/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 47/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 27/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 19/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 24/100

Low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 64/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 91/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BBBB96

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BBBB96 with

Pale Silver Laurel Green Cool Gray Platinum Army Green

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 9.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F0F0EB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #AEBB96 — 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 #BBBB96 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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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

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #BBBB96;
  --color-base-rgb: 187 187 150;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(78.2% 0.050 107.5);
  --color-50: #F9F9F6;
  --color-100: #EFEFE6;
  --color-200: #DFDFCE;
  --color-300: #C5C5AA;
  --color-400: #AAAA88;
  --color-500: #8D8D68;
  --color-600: #6E6E54;
  --color-700: #50503F;
  --color-800: #35352B;
  --color-900: #21211C;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  laurel-green: {
    50: '#F9F9F6',
    100: '#EFEFE6',
    200: '#DFDFCE',
    300: '#C5C5AA',
    400: '#AAAA88',
    500: '#8D8D68',
    600: '#6E6E54',
    700: '#50503F',
    800: '#35352B',
    900: '#21211C',
  },
}

$base: #BBBB96;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F9F9F6;
$base-100: #EFEFE6;
$base-200: #DFDFCE;
$base-300: #C5C5AA;
$base-400: #AAAA88;
$base-500: #8D8D68;
$base-600: #6E6E54;
$base-700: #50503F;
$base-800: #35352B;
$base-900: #21211C;
$base-hover: #A0A06D;
$base-subtle: #E9E9E1;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BBBB96",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F9F9F6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EFEFE6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#DFDFCE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#C5C5AA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#AAAA88",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#8D8D68",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#6E6E54",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#50503F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#35352B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#21211C",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}