What color is #C9A8A3?

#C9A8A3 is a light, muted red. In RGB it is rgb(201, 168, 163), and in HSL hsl(8, 26%, 71%).

Is #C9A8A3 accessible as text?

On white, #C9A8A3 has a contrast ratio of 2.18:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 9.61:1 (passes). For text placed on #C9A8A3, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #C9A8A3?

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

What colors go well with #C9A8A3?

#C9A8A3 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #A2C3C8. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #C9A8A3 below.

Is #C9A8A3 good for buttons?

#C9A8A3 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #C9A8A3 — white text only reaches 2.18:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #C9A8A3 the same as CSS darkgray?

No — #C9A8A3 is not the CSS named color darkgray, but darkgray (#A9A9A9) 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.

#C9A8A3 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #C9A8A3

Not just a swatch — here's how #C9A8A3 works with other colors. Named schemes with #C9A8A3 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #C9A8A3 Secondary #B76325 Accent #777743 Surface #F4EBDD Anchor #3B2A21

This palette keeps Khaki 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 #C9A8A3 Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BBAEA0 Ink #2B2723

Khaki 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.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #C9A8A3 Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17958 Accent #98976D Anchor #3E2C21

Khaki holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #C9A8A3 Accent #ADC3B3 Surface #E6D7BE Secondary #9BA09E Anchor #28324B

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #C9A8A3 Secondary #E7DBD9 Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Khaki 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 Khaki carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #C9A8A3 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 61/100

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 23/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 48/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 50/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 29/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 15/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 27/100

Low

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

Surface fit 65/100

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 #C9A8A3

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #C9A8A3 with

Thistle Tan 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 8.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F3EEED for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C8B4A2 — 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 #C9A8A3 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

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #C9A8A3;
  --color-base-rgb: 201 168 163;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(75.9% 0.040 28.1);
  --color-50: #FAF6F5;
  --color-100: #F0E6E5;
  --color-200: #E1CECC;
  --color-300: #C8ABA7;
  --color-400: #AF8983;
  --color-500: #916A64;
  --color-600: #715551;
  --color-700: #52403D;
  --color-800: #372C2A;
  --color-900: #221C1B;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  khaki: {
    50: '#FAF6F5',
    100: '#F0E6E5',
    200: '#E1CECC',
    300: '#C8ABA7',
    400: '#AF8983',
    500: '#916A64',
    600: '#715551',
    700: '#52403D',
    800: '#372C2A',
    900: '#221C1B',
  },
}

$base: #C9A8A3;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FAF6F5;
$base-100: #F0E6E5;
$base-200: #E1CECC;
$base-300: #C8ABA7;
$base-400: #AF8983;
$base-500: #916A64;
$base-600: #715551;
$base-700: #52403D;
$base-800: #372C2A;
$base-900: #221C1B;
$base-hover: #AD7C74;
$base-subtle: #EDE6E4;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#C9A8A3",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF6F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F0E6E5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E1CECC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#C8ABA7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#AF8983",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#916A64",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#715551",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#52403D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#372C2A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#221C1B",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}