#2b2c2d
a deep, muted gray · neutral · closest name: Black
At a glance
Every number on this page in one read: what #2b2c2d is made of, how bright it looks, and which way it leans.
Near-neutral, so temperature is a whisper rather than a statement — the tinted siblings below show which way it can lean.
Every format
| HEX | #2b2c2d |
| RGB | rgb(43, 44, 45) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 2%, 17%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(4%, 2%, 0%, 82%) |
| LAB | lab(17.9 -0.2 -0.8) |
| LCH | lch(17.9 0.8 256.0) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.292 0.002 247.9) |
| Decimal | 2829357 |
| Display P3 | color(display-p3 0.169 0.173 0.176) |
Copy-ready code
/* CSS */
color: #2b2c2d;
background-color: #2b2c2d;
/* Tailwind (arbitrary) */
class="text-[#2b2c2d] bg-[#2b2c2d]"
/* SCSS */
$brand: #2b2c2d;
/* SwiftUI */
Color(red: 0.169, green: 0.173, blue: 0.176)
/* Android */
Color.parseColor("#2b2c2d")
/* Flutter */
Color(0xFF2B2C2D)
/* Python / OpenCV (BGR) */
(45, 44, 43)Best text color
Only one of black and white can be right. This is the one, with the number that proves it.
Accessibility — WCAG contrast
Color scale — 50 to 950
A Tailwind-shaped ramp built around this exact hex. #2b2c2d is pinned to step 950; the rest hold its hue and let saturation ease off at the extremes so the pale end never turns neon.
:root {
--brand-50: #F7F7F7;
--brand-100: #EFF0F0;
--brand-200: #DDDEDF;
--brand-300: #C6C7C8;
--brand-400: #A9ABAD;
--brand-500: #8C8F91;
--brand-600: #787A7D;
--brand-700: #646668;
--brand-800: #505253;
--brand-900: #3C3D3E;
--brand-950: #2b2c2d;
--brand: #2b2c2d;
--brand-ink: #ffffff;
}Colors that work with #2b2c2d
Not a palette — a role sheet. Each swatch answers one question you will hit while building the component.
Surface, border, heading and body all derive from this one hue, so the screen stays coherent without a second palette.
Lightness flips, hue holds. The accent stays the anchor in both themes.
How to use #2b2c2d
Derived from its contrast, chroma and lightness — not from taste.
- ✓Body text and links on white
- ✓Borders, dividers and quiet backgrounds
- ✓Long-form reading surfaces
- ✓Headers, footers and dark-mode surfaces
- ✓Neutral UI chrome and typography
- ⚠Text on black or near-black surfaces
- ⚠Black text placed on it
- ⚠Pairing with a same-lightness hue — edges vibrate
Similar colors
One move away from this hex in each direction. Every swatch is its own page.
Color relationships
The wheel positions with their names attached, so you can grab the one you actually need.
| Complementary | #2D2C2B | Directly opposite — maximum tension | |
| Analogous left | #2B2D2D | Neighbour, quieter | |
| Analogous right | #2B2B2D | Neighbour, quieter | |
| Split-complement 1 | #2D2B2B | Contrast without the clash | |
| Split-complement 2 | #2D2D2B | Contrast without the clash | |
| Triadic 1 | #2D2B2C | Even thirds — balanced and loud | |
| Triadic 2 | #2C2D2B | Even thirds — balanced and loud | |
| Tetradic | #2D2B2D | Fourth corner of the square scheme |
RGB percentages
CMYK percentages
Color previews
#2b2c2d text on a black background
contrast 1.50:1
#2b2c2d text on a white background
contrast 13.99:1
CSS3 live lab
The quick brown fox
color: #2b2c2d;
background-color: #2b2c2d;
Glowing headline
text-shadow: 2px 2px 8px #2b2c2d;
Soft neon halo
text-shadow: 0 0 14px rgba(43, 44, 45, 0.45);
box-shadow: 0 12px 32px -8px rgba(43, 44, 45, 0.45);
border: 3px solid #2b2c2d; background: linear-gradient(135deg, #2b2c2d, #2B2B2D);
Monochromatic scale
Palettes built from #2b2c2d
Shades — darker
Tints — lighter
Color harmonies
Nearest named colors
Ranked with CIEDE2000 across all 139 CSS keywords. Under ΔE 2 the eye stops telling them apart; over ΔE 10 they are plainly different colors.
Closest color with a full write-up: Gunmetal (#2a3439) — ΔE2000 5.2 away, with its history, psychology and brand usage.
#2b2c2d in the real world
Where a color in this family tends to land, and the interface roles it is usually asked to play.
Converts to four-color process without much drama. Proof it anyway.
#2b2c2d, answered
What color is #2b2c2d?
#2b2c2d is a deep muted gray, closest to Black (ΔE2000 11.2). It sits at 210° on the hue wheel with 2% saturation and 17% lightness, which reads as neutral.
What is the RGB value of #2b2c2d?
rgb(43, 44, 45) — 43 red, 44 green and 45 blue out of 255, or 16.9% / 17.3% / 17.6% by channel.
Is #2b2c2d a light or a dark color?
It is a dark color. Relative luminance is 0.0250 and perceived brightness is 17%, so white text on it reaches 13.99:1.
Should I use black or white text on #2b2c2d?
White. It scores 13.99:1 against #2b2c2d, versus 1.50:1 for black — AAA at any size.
What is the complementary color of #2b2c2d?
#2D2C2B sits directly opposite on the wheel. Softer options are the split-complements #2D2B2B and #2D2D2B, which give the same contrast with far less vibration.
What colors go well with #2b2c2d?
For interface work: #F7F7F8 as the surface, #D5D6D7 for borders, #707375 for secondary text, #2F2B29 as an accent and #3E4041 for hover and pressed states. For a palette, the analogous pair #2B2D2D and #2B2B2D stays calm, while #2D2C2B is the loudest partner.
What is #2b2c2d in CMYK for printing?
cmyk(4%, 2%, 0%, 82%). This is a screen-to-ink approximation — ask your printer for a proof before committing to a run.
Is #2b2c2d warm or cool?
Neutral — it scores 53 on a scale where 0 is the warmest orange and 100 the coolest azure. Nudged warmer it becomes #38302A; nudged cooler, #22272C.