What color is #DCD9EF?

#DCD9EF is a pale low-chroma blue-gray with a subtle blue cast. In RGB it is rgb(220, 217, 239), and in HSL hsl(248, 41%, 89%).

Is #DCD9EF accessible as text?

On white, #DCD9EF has a contrast ratio of 1.38:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 15.21:1 (passes). For text placed on #DCD9EF, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DCD9EF?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is gray-300 (#D1D5DC).

What colors go well with #DCD9EF?

As a neutral, #DCD9EF 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 #DCD9EF the same as CSS gainsboro?

No — #DCD9EF is not the CSS named color gainsboro, but gainsboro (#DCDCDC) 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.

#DCD9EF Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #DCD9EF

Not just a swatch — here's how #DCD9EF works with other colors. Named schemes with #DCD9EF in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #DCD9EF Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BEADA1 Ink #2C2724

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 #DCD9EF Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #22334A

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #DCD9EF Secondary #AFB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7F92A7 Anchor #2E3236

Gainsboro keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #DCD9EF Secondary #FAF9FF Support #9D9088 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.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #DCD9EF Surface #F5E5D7 Anchor #5C2141 Accent #E5C2C8 Secondary #332B2F

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

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #DCD9EF 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 46/100

Neutral

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

Softness 85/100

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 23/100

Low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 15/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 12/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 6/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 81/100

Very 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 #DCD9EF

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DCD9EF with

Gainsboro Eggshell Prussian Blue

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 13.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F8F8FB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #E2D7EE — 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 #DCD9EF at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

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$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

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Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

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Export

:root {
  --color-base: #DCD9EF;
  --color-base-rgb: 220 217 239;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(89.4% 0.030 292.0);
  --color-50: #F5F4FB;
  --color-100: #E4E2F3;
  --color-200: #CAC6E7;
  --color-300: #A49DD2;
  --color-400: #8077BB;
  --color-500: #60569E;
  --color-600: #4E477A;
  --color-700: #3B3758;
  --color-800: #29273A;
  --color-900: #1B1924;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  gainsboro: {
    50: '#F5F4FB',
    100: '#E4E2F3',
    200: '#CAC6E7',
    300: '#A49DD2',
    400: '#8077BB',
    500: '#60569E',
    600: '#4E477A',
    700: '#3B3758',
    800: '#29273A',
    900: '#1B1924',
  },
}

$base: #DCD9EF;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F4FB;
$base-100: #E4E2F3;
$base-200: #CAC6E7;
$base-300: #A49DD2;
$base-400: #8077BB;
$base-500: #60569E;
$base-600: #4E477A;
$base-700: #3B3758;
$base-800: #29273A;
$base-900: #1B1924;
$base-hover: #9F97D4;
$base-subtle: #F5F4F9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DCD9EF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F4FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E4E2F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CAC6E7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A49DD2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#8077BB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#60569E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#4E477A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3B3758",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#29273A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1924",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DCD9EF

Color Lab

Pairs with #DCD9EF

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export