#bab4b2
a light, muted gray · neutral · closest name: Silver
At a glance
Every number on this page in one read: what #bab4b2 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 | #bab4b2 |
| RGB | rgb(186, 180, 178) |
| HSL | hsl(15, 6%, 71%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 3%, 4%, 27%) |
| LAB | lab(73.7 1.8 1.8) |
| LCH | lch(73.7 2.5 45.2) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.774 0.007 39.4) |
| Decimal | 12235954 |
| Display P3 | color(display-p3 0.729 0.706 0.698) |
Copy-ready code
/* CSS */
color: #bab4b2;
background-color: #bab4b2;
/* Tailwind (arbitrary) */
class="text-[#bab4b2] bg-[#bab4b2]"
/* SCSS */
$brand: #bab4b2;
/* SwiftUI */
Color(red: 0.729, green: 0.706, blue: 0.698)
/* Android */
Color.parseColor("#bab4b2")
/* Flutter */
Color(0xFFBAB4B2)
/* Python / OpenCV (BGR) */
(178, 180, 186)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. #bab4b2 is pinned to step 400; the rest hold its hue and let saturation ease off at the extremes so the pale end never turns neon.
:root {
--brand-50: #F8F7F7;
--brand-100: #F0EFEF;
--brand-200: #DFDDDC;
--brand-300: #CAC5C4;
--brand-400: #bab4b2;
--brand-500: #958C89;
--brand-600: #817774;
--brand-700: #6C6360;
--brand-800: #564F4D;
--brand-900: #403C3A;
--brand-950: #282524;
--brand: #bab4b2;
--brand-ink: #000000;
}Colors that work with #bab4b2
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 #bab4b2
Derived from its contrast, chroma and lightness — not from taste.
- ✓Text and icons on dark surfaces
- ✓Borders, dividers and quiet backgrounds
- ✓Long-form reading surfaces
- ✓Card and section backgrounds
- ✓Neutral UI chrome and typography
- ⚠Text of any size on white — fails WCAG AA
- ⚠White 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 | #B2B8BA | Directly opposite — maximum tension | |
| Analogous left | #BAB2B4 | Neighbour, quieter | |
| Analogous right | #BAB8B2 | Neighbour, quieter | |
| Split-complement 1 | #B2BAB8 | Contrast without the clash | |
| Split-complement 2 | #B2B4BA | Contrast without the clash | |
| Triadic 1 | #B2BAB4 | Even thirds — balanced and loud | |
| Triadic 2 | #B4B2BA | Even thirds — balanced and loud | |
| Tetradic | #B4BAB2 | Fourth corner of the square scheme |
RGB percentages
CMYK percentages
Color previews
#bab4b2 text on a black background
contrast 10.26:1
#bab4b2 text on a white background
contrast 2.05:1
CSS3 live lab
The quick brown fox
color: #bab4b2;
background-color: #bab4b2;
Glowing headline
text-shadow: 2px 2px 8px #bab4b2;
Soft neon halo
text-shadow: 0 0 14px rgba(186, 180, 178, 0.45);
box-shadow: 0 12px 32px -8px rgba(186, 180, 178, 0.45);
border: 3px solid #bab4b2; background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bab4b2, #BAB9B2);
Monochromatic scale
Palettes built from #bab4b2
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: Silver (#c0c0c0) — ΔE2000 4.1 away, with its history, psychology and brand usage.
#bab4b2 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.
#bab4b2, answered
What color is #bab4b2?
#bab4b2 is a light muted gray, closest to Silver (ΔE2000 4.1). It sits at 15° on the hue wheel with 6% saturation and 71% lightness, which reads as neutral.
What is the RGB value of #bab4b2?
rgb(186, 180, 178) — 186 red, 180 green and 178 blue out of 255, or 72.9% / 70.6% / 69.8% by channel.
Is #bab4b2 a light or a dark color?
It is a mid-tone. Relative luminance is 0.4630 and perceived brightness is 71%, so black text on it reaches 10.26:1.
Should I use black or white text on #bab4b2?
Black. It scores 10.26:1 against #bab4b2, versus 2.05:1 for white — AAA at any size.
What is the complementary color of #bab4b2?
#B2B8BA sits directly opposite on the wheel. Softer options are the split-complements #B2BAB8 and #B2B4BA, which give the same contrast with far less vibration.
What colors go well with #bab4b2?
For interface work: #F8F7F7 as the surface, #D8D5D4 for borders, #79706C for secondary text, #5C7070 as an accent and #433E3C for hover and pressed states. For a palette, the analogous pair #BAB2B4 and #BAB8B2 stays calm, while #B2B8BA is the loudest partner.
What is #bab4b2 in CMYK for printing?
cmyk(0%, 3%, 4%, 27%). This is a screen-to-ink approximation — ask your printer for a proof before committing to a run.
Is #bab4b2 warm or cool?
Neutral — it scores 43 on a scale where 0 is the warmest orange and 100 the coolest azure. Nudged warmer it becomes #C5BAB2; nudged cooler, #A6B1BC.