What color is #DDD5AA?

#DDD5AA is a light, soft amber. In RGB it is rgb(221, 213, 170), and in HSL hsl(51, 43%, 77%).

Is #DDD5AA accessible as text?

On white, #DDD5AA has a contrast ratio of 1.48:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 14.17:1 (passes). For text placed on #DDD5AA, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DDD5AA?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is olive-300 (#D8D8D0).

What colors go well with #DDD5AA?

#DDD5AA pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #ABB3DE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #DDD5AA below.

Is #DDD5AA good for buttons?

#DDD5AA works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #DDD5AA — white text only reaches 1.48:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #DDD5AA the same as CSS wheat?

No — #DDD5AA is not the CSS named color wheat, but wheat (#F5DEB3) 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.

#DDD5AA Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #DDD5AA

Not just a swatch — here's how #DDD5AA works with other colors. Named schemes with #DDD5AA in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #DDD5AA Secondary #B2680E Accent #6E7A48 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3A2A1F

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #DDD5AA Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8AF9F Ink #2B2723

Desert Sand 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.

Botanical Studio Lead · 5 colors

Lead #DDD5AA Secondary #546A36 Accent #B2680E Surface #F0E9D6 Anchor #3D2E21

Desert Sand leads this botanical set among foliage greens and a terracotta accent, softened by cream and grounded in bark brown.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #DDD5AA Surface #DFCFA8 Secondary #AD7C51 Accent #909971 Anchor #3D2D1F

Desert Sand holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #DDD5AA Secondary #FDFBEB Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Desert Sand 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 Desert Sand carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #DDD5AA 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 61/100

Neutral

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

Softness 78/100

High

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

Depth 13/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 65/100

High

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

Vintage feel 40/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 18/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 22/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 10/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 70/100

High

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

Print safety 91/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #DDD5AA

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DDD5AA with

Bone Celadon Light Steel Blue Greige Army Green

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 12.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F7F6F0 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #D4DEAB — 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 #DDD5AA at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

Northwind Sign up

Build faster.

A working theme, generated in seconds.

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: #DDD5AA;
  --color-base-rgb: 221 213 170;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(86.9% 0.057 98.7);
  --color-50: #FBFAF4;
  --color-100: #F4F1E1;
  --color-200: #E8E2C5;
  --color-300: #D3CB9C;
  --color-400: #BDB275;
  --color-500: #A09555;
  --color-600: #7C7446;
  --color-700: #595436;
  --color-800: #3B3826;
  --color-900: #242319;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  desert-sand: {
    50: '#FBFAF4',
    100: '#F4F1E1',
    200: '#E8E2C5',
    300: '#D3CB9C',
    400: '#BDB275',
    500: '#A09555',
    600: '#7C7446',
    700: '#595436',
    800: '#3B3826',
    900: '#242319',
  },
}

$base: #DDD5AA;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FBFAF4;
$base-100: #F4F1E1;
$base-200: #E8E2C5;
$base-300: #D3CB9C;
$base-400: #BDB275;
$base-500: #A09555;
$base-600: #7C7446;
$base-700: #595436;
$base-800: #3B3826;
$base-900: #242319;
$base-hover: #C7BB73;
$base-subtle: #F3F1E8;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DDD5AA",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FBFAF4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F4F1E1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E8E2C5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D3CB9C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#BDB275",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A09555",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#7C7446",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#595436",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3B3826",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#242319",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DDD5AA

Color Lab

Pairs with #DDD5AA

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export