What color is #CD5C16?

#CD5C16 is a medium, vivid brown. In RGB it is rgb(205, 92, 22), and in HSL hsl(23, 81%, 45%).

Is #CD5C16 accessible as text?

On white, #CD5C16 has a contrast ratio of 4.09:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.14:1 (passes). For text placed on #CD5C16, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CD5C16?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is amber-700 (#BB4D00).

What colors go well with #CD5C16?

#CD5C16 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1688D0. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CD5C16 below.

Is #CD5C16 good for buttons?

#CD5C16 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #CD5C16 — white text only reaches 4.09:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CD5C16 the same as CSS chocolate?

No — #CD5C16 is not the CSS named color chocolate, but chocolate (#D2691E) is the closest CSS named color.

#CD5C16 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CD5C16

Not just a swatch — here's how #CD5C16 works with other colors. Named schemes with #CD5C16 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #CD5C16 Secondary #B66420 Accent #757844 Surface #F4ECDD Anchor #3B2A20

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

Modern Café Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #CD5C16 Anchor #3A2A20 Surface #F0E3D0 Accent #949765 Secondary #3B3833

Tawny anchors this café scheme as the warm mid-tone, lifted by latte cream and a muted sage accent and grounded by espresso brown and a warm charcoal.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #CD5C16 Secondary #7A4A25 Surface #E9D9C0 Accent #42503B Anchor #5B222C

Tawny plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #CD5C16 Surface #F3E7D6 Anchor #5F2035 Accent #E6C2C0 Secondary #332B2D

Tawny 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 #CD5C16 Secondary #CCA38F Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Tawny 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 Tawny carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #CD5C16 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 98/100

Warm

Reads warm and advancing — inviting, energetic, draws the eye forward.

Softness 43/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 41/100

Moderate

Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.

Naturalness 82/100

Very high

Organic, earthy character — at home in wellness, food and craft brands.

Vintage feel 56/100

Moderate

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 44/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 44/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 89/100

Very high

Strong interactive accent — visible and can carry a legible label.

Surface fit 18/100

Very low

Too saturated or mid-toned for big areas — keep it to accents.

Print safety 82/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #CD5C16

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CD5C16 with

Amaranth Citrine Steel Blue Greige Taupe

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass

Background Pair with #141310 text at 4.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F3DFD3 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #D09B16 — 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 #CD5C16 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

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #CD5C16;
  --color-base-rgb: 205 92 22;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(60.7% 0.161 46.2);
  --color-50: #FEF6F1;
  --color-100: #FCE7D9;
  --color-200: #F7CFB5;
  --color-300: #ECAB83;
  --color-400: #DC8956;
  --color-500: #C26A33;
  --color-600: #93552E;
  --color-700: #684027;
  --color-800: #442C1D;
  --color-900: #2A1C14;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  tawny: {
    50: '#FEF6F1',
    100: '#FCE7D9',
    200: '#F7CFB5',
    300: '#ECAB83',
    400: '#DC8956',
    500: '#C26A33',
    600: '#93552E',
    700: '#684027',
    800: '#442C1D',
    900: '#2A1C14',
  },
}

$base: #CD5C16;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEF6F1;
$base-100: #FCE7D9;
$base-200: #F7CFB5;
$base-300: #ECAB83;
$base-400: #DC8956;
$base-500: #C26A33;
$base-600: #93552E;
$base-700: #684027;
$base-800: #442C1D;
$base-900: #2A1C14;
$base-hover: #A64A11;
$base-subtle: #EFCFBB;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CD5C16",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF6F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FCE7D9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F7CFB5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#ECAB83",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#DC8956",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#C26A33",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#93552E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#684027",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#442C1D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2A1C14",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #CD5C16

Color Lab

Pairs with #CD5C16

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export