Nearest named color: Pale Silver
#C9BBBE
#C9BBBE
Nearest named
Pale Silver
Family
Gray
Lightness
80.5%
Chroma
0.016
Hue angle
2.8°
Temperature
Warm
Contrast on white
1.85:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
10.03:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#CCCCCC
CSS oklch()
80% 0.02 3

#C9BBBE 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 #C9BBBE

Not just a swatch — here's how #C9BBBE works with other colors. Named schemes with #C9BBBE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors
Base #C9BBBE Surface #F1E8DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BCAEA0 Ink #2B2723

Pale 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 #C9BBBE Accent #AFC3B1 Surface #E7D7BE Secondary #9AA0A2 Anchor #27324B

Pale 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 #C9BBBE Surface #15161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5E6573 Accent #EFE2E5

Pale 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 Pale Silver.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors
Lead #C9BBBE Surface #F4E6D7 Anchor #5E2039 Accent #E6C2C3 Secondary #332B2E

Pale 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 #C9BBBE Secondary #F0EBEC Support #9B9087 Ink #17140F

Pale 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 Pale Silver carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #C9BBBE 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 53/100
Neutral
Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.
Softness 79/100
High
Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.
Depth 18/100
Very low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 11/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 35/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 24/100
Low
Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.
Brand distinctiveness 6/100
Very low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 15/100
Very low
Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.
Surface fit 76/100
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 #C9BBBE

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #C9BBBE with
Light Gray Pale Silver Silver 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 10.0:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #F4F2F2 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #C9BDBB — 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 #C9BBBE 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: #C9BBBE;
  --color-base-rgb: 201 187 190;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(80.5% 0.016 2.8);
  --color-50: #F8F6F7;
  --color-100: #EDE8E9;
  --color-200: #DBD2D4;
  --color-300: #BFB1B4;
  --color-400: #A29094;
  --color-500: #847175;
  --color-600: #685A5D;
  --color-700: #4C4345;
  --color-800: #332E2F;
  --color-900: #201D1E;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}