What color is #F9F5EF?

#F9F5EF is a pale low-chroma warm gray with a subtle warm cast. In RGB it is rgb(249, 245, 239), and in HSL hsl(36, 45%, 96%).

Is #F9F5EF accessible as text?

On white, #F9F5EF has a contrast ratio of 1.09:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 19.34:1 (passes). For text placed on #F9F5EF, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #F9F5EF?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is stone-100 (#F5F5F4).

What colors go well with #F9F5EF?

As a neutral, #F9F5EF 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 #F9F5EF the same as CSS seashell?

No — #F9F5EF is not the CSS named color seashell, but seashell (#FFF5EE) is the closest CSS named color.

#F9F5EF Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #F9F5EF

Not just a swatch — here's how #F9F5EF works with other colors. Named schemes with #F9F5EF in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #F9F5EF Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B9AF9F Ink #2B2723

Seashell 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 #F9F5EF Accent #ABC4B6 Surface #E4D8BE Secondary #9AA09F Anchor #163746

Seashell 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 #F9F5EF Surface #15161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #56686F Accent #FDFAF4

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #F9F5EF Secondary #ADB5B6 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #76969F Anchor #2D3335

Seashell 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 #F7F4EF Accent #F9F5EF Secondary #FBFAF8 Support #9A9186 Ink #17140F

Seashell 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 Seashell carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #F9F5EF 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 52/100

Neutral

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

Softness 96/100

Very high

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

Depth 3/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 27/100

Low

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 20/100

Low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 5/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 3/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 2/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 95/100

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 #F9F5EF

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #F9F5EF with

Rose Quartz Off White White Smoke Greige Taupe

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 17.1:1. Use

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

Avoid beside #F9F9F0 — 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 #F9F5EF 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: #F9F5EF;
  --color-base-rgb: 249 245 239;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(97.2% 0.009 78.3);
  --color-50: #FBF8F4;
  --color-100: #F4EDE1;
  --color-200: #E8DAC4;
  --color-300: #D5BD9B;
  --color-400: #BEA074;
  --color-500: #A28253;
  --color-600: #7D6745;
  --color-700: #5A4B35;
  --color-800: #3B3326;
  --color-900: #252019;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  seashell: {
    50: '#FBF8F4',
    100: '#F4EDE1',
    200: '#E8DAC4',
    300: '#D5BD9B',
    400: '#BEA074',
    500: '#A28253',
    600: '#7D6745',
    700: '#5A4B35',
    800: '#3B3326',
    900: '#252019',
  },
}

$base: #F9F5EF;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FBF8F4;
$base-100: #F4EDE1;
$base-200: #E8DAC4;
$base-300: #D5BD9B;
$base-400: #BEA074;
$base-500: #A28253;
$base-600: #7D6745;
$base-700: #5A4B35;
$base-800: #3B3326;
$base-900: #252019;
$base-hover: #DEC9A9;
$base-subtle: #FDFCFB;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#F9F5EF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FBF8F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F4EDE1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E8DAC4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D5BD9B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#BEA074",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A28253",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#7D6745",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5A4B35",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3B3326",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#252019",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #F9F5EF

Color Lab

Pairs with #F9F5EF

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export