What color is #DDD9EB?

#DDD9EB is a pale low-chroma blue-gray with a subtle blue cast. In RGB it is rgb(221, 217, 235), and in HSL hsl(253, 31%, 89%).

Is #DDD9EB accessible as text?

On white, #DDD9EB has a contrast ratio of 1.38:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 15.20:1 (passes). For text placed on #DDD9EB, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #DDD9EB?

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

What colors go well with #DDD9EB?

As a neutral, #DDD9EB 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 #DDD9EB the same as CSS gainsboro?

No — #DDD9EB 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.

#DDD9EB Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #DDD9EB

Not just a swatch — here's how #DDD9EB works with other colors. Named schemes with #DDD9EB in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #DDD9EB Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BDADA1 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 #DDD9EB Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #23334A

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 #DDD9EB 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 #DDD9EB 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 #DDD9EB Surface #F5E5D7 Anchor #5C2140 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 #DDD9EB 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 47/100

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 23/100

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 #DDD9EB

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #DDD9EB with

Light Gray Gainsboro Eggshell Russian Violet

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 13.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F9F8FB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #E4DAEC — 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 #DDD9EB 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: #DDD9EB;
  --color-base-rgb: 221 217 235;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(89.4% 0.025 296.1);
  --color-50: #F6F5FA;
  --color-100: #E7E4F1;
  --color-200: #CFCAE3;
  --color-300: #ACA4CC;
  --color-400: #8A7FB3;
  --color-500: #6B5F96;
  --color-600: #564E74;
  --color-700: #403B54;
  --color-800: #2C2938;
  --color-900: #1C1A23;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  gainsboro: {
    50: '#F6F5FA',
    100: '#E7E4F1',
    200: '#CFCAE3',
    300: '#ACA4CC',
    400: '#8A7FB3',
    500: '#6B5F96',
    600: '#564E74',
    700: '#403B54',
    800: '#2C2938',
    900: '#1C1A23',
  },
}

$base: #DDD9EB;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F6F5FA;
$base-100: #E7E4F1;
$base-200: #CFCAE3;
$base-300: #ACA4CC;
$base-400: #8A7FB3;
$base-500: #6B5F96;
$base-600: #564E74;
$base-700: #403B54;
$base-800: #2C2938;
$base-900: #1C1A23;
$base-hover: #A99FCC;
$base-subtle: #F5F5F9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#DDD9EB",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F6F5FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E7E4F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CFCAE3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#ACA4CC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#8A7FB3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#6B5F96",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#564E74",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#403B54",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2C2938",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1C1A23",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #DDD9EB

Color Lab

Pairs with #DDD9EB

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export