What color is #DCDAED?

#DCDAED is a pale low-chroma blue-gray with a subtle blue cast. In RGB it is rgb(220, 218, 237), and in HSL hsl(246, 35%, 89%).

Is #DCDAED accessible as text?

On white, #DCDAED has a contrast ratio of 1.37:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 15.29:1 (passes). For text placed on #DCDAED, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DCDAED?

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

What colors go well with #DCDAED?

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

No — #DCDAED 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.

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

Palettes built on #DCDAED

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #DCDAED Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BEADA2 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 #DCDAED 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 #DCDAED 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 #DCDAED 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 #DCDAED 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.

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Color Lab

How #DCDAED 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 86/100

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 10/100

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 82/100

Very high

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

Print safety 97/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #DCDAED

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DCDAED 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 #E2D9ED — 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 #DCDAED 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: #DCDAED;
  --color-base-rgb: 220 218 237;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(89.6% 0.026 290.7);
  --color-50: #F5F4FA;
  --color-100: #E5E3F2;
  --color-200: #CBC8E4;
  --color-300: #A6A1CE;
  --color-400: #827CB6;
  --color-500: #625C99;
  --color-600: #4F4B77;
  --color-700: #3C3956;
  --color-800: #2A2839;
  --color-900: #1B1A23;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  gainsboro: {
    50: '#F5F4FA',
    100: '#E5E3F2',
    200: '#CBC8E4',
    300: '#A6A1CE',
    400: '#827CB6',
    500: '#625C99',
    600: '#4F4B77',
    700: '#3C3956',
    800: '#2A2839',
    900: '#1B1A23',
  },
}

$base: #DCDAED;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F4FA;
$base-100: #E5E3F2;
$base-200: #CBC8E4;
$base-300: #A6A1CE;
$base-400: #827CB6;
$base-500: #625C99;
$base-600: #4F4B77;
$base-700: #3C3956;
$base-800: #2A2839;
$base-900: #1B1A23;
$base-hover: #A19CCF;
$base-subtle: #F5F4F9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DCDAED",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F4FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E5E3F2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CBC8E4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A6A1CE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#827CB6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#625C99",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#4F4B77",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3C3956",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2A2839",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1A23",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DCDAED

Color Lab

Pairs with #DCDAED

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export