What color is #DCD9DD?

#DCD9DD is a pale low-chroma blue-gray with a subtle blue cast. In RGB it is rgb(220, 217, 221), and in HSL hsl(285, 6%, 86%).

Is #DCD9DD accessible as text?

On white, #DCD9DD has a contrast ratio of 1.40:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 15.01:1 (passes). For text placed on #DCD9DD, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DCD9DD?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is zinc-300 (#D4D4D8).

What colors go well with #DCD9DD?

As a neutral, #DCD9DD pairs cleanly with charcoal, near-black and dark grays for text, and sits under accent hues like blue, violet, emerald or warm orange — use it as a soft background and let the accent carry the color.

Is #DCD9DD the same as CSS gainsboro?

No — #DCD9DD is not the CSS named color gainsboro, but gainsboro (#DCDCDC) is the closest CSS named color.

#DCD9DD Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #DCD9DD

Not just a swatch — here's how #DCD9DD works with other colors. Named schemes with #DCD9DD in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #DCD9DD Surface #F1E8DC Highlight #F7F0E7 Secondary #BDADA1 Ink #2C2723

Gainsboro 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 #DCD9DD Accent #A5C4C5 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #24334B

Gainsboro 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 #DCD9DD Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5C6573 Accent #FCF9FD

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

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #DCD9DD Surface #F5E6D7 Anchor #5D203E Accent #E5C2C6 Secondary #332B2F

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #DCD9DD Secondary #FBFAFB Support #9C9087 Ink #18140F

Gainsboro 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 Gainsboro carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #DCD9DD 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 50/100

Neutral

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

Softness 89/100

Very high

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

Depth 10/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 22/100

Low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 15/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 2/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 5/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 88/100

Very high

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

Print safety 99/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #DCD9DD

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DCD9DD with

Gainsboro Charcoal

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 13.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F8F8F8 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #DDD9DD — 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 #DCD9DD 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: #DCD9DD;
  --color-base-rgb: 220 217 221;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(88.9% 0.006 317.8);
  --color-50: #F8F7F8;
  --color-100: #EBE9EC;
  --color-200: #D7D4D9;
  --color-300: #BAB4BB;
  --color-400: #9B949E;
  --color-500: #7D7580;
  --color-600: #635D65;
  --color-700: #49454A;
  --color-800: #312F32;
  --color-900: #1F1D20;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  gainsboro: {
    50: '#F8F7F8',
    100: '#EBE9EC',
    200: '#D7D4D9',
    300: '#BAB4BB',
    400: '#9B949E',
    500: '#7D7580',
    600: '#635D65',
    700: '#49454A',
    800: '#312F32',
    900: '#1F1D20',
  },
}

$base: #DCD9DD;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F8F7F8;
$base-100: #EBE9EC;
$base-200: #D7D4D9;
$base-300: #BAB4BB;
$base-400: #9B949E;
$base-500: #7D7580;
$base-600: #635D65;
$base-700: #49454A;
$base-800: #312F32;
$base-900: #1F1D20;
$base-hover: #B2ABB4;
$base-subtle: #F5F4F5;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DCD9DD",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F8F7F8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EBE9EC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#D7D4D9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#BAB4BB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#9B949E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#7D7580",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#635D65",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#49454A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#312F32",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1F1D20",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DCD9DD

Color Lab

Pairs with #DCD9DD

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export