Nearest named color: Silver
#BDB3BC
#BDB3BC
Nearest named
Silver
Family
Gray
Lightness
77.8%
Chroma
0.017
Hue angle
328.8°
Temperature
Warm
Contrast on white
2.03:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
9.15:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#CCCCCC
CSS oklch()
78% 0.02 329

#BDB3BC 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 #BDB3BC

Not just a swatch — here's how #BDB3BC works with other colors. Named schemes with #BDB3BC in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors
Base #BDB3BC Surface #F1E8DC Highlight #F7F0E7 Secondary #BDADA1 Ink #2B2723

Silver 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 #BDB3BC Accent #A5C3C5 Surface #E8D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #25334B

Silver 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 #BDB3BC Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5C6573 Accent #E3DAE2

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

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors
Lead #BDB3BC Surface #F5E6D7 Anchor #5D203D Accent #E6C2C5 Secondary #332B2E

Silver sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors
Surface #F7F4EF Accent #BDB3BC Secondary #E6E2E6 Support #9C9087 Ink #18140F

Silver 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 Silver carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BDB3BC 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 51/100
Neutral
Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.
Softness 77/100
High
Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.
Depth 21/100
Low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 1/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 33/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 27/100
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 19/100
Very low
Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.
Surface fit 74/100
High
Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.
Print safety 98/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BDB3BC

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #BDB3BC with
Lavender Gray Ash Gray Gainsboro Taupe

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 9.1:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #F1F0F1 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #BDB3B8 — 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 #BDB3BC 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: #BDB3BC;
  --color-base-rgb: 189 179 188;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(77.8% 0.017 328.8);
  --color-50: #F8F7F8;
  --color-100: #ECE9EC;
  --color-200: #D9D3D8;
  --color-300: #BCB3BB;
  --color-400: #9F939E;
  --color-500: #81747F;
  --color-600: #655D64;
  --color-700: #4A454A;
  --color-800: #322F32;
  --color-900: #201D20;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}