#dce1df
a pale, muted gray · neutral · closest name: Gainsboro
At a glance
Every number on this page in one read: what #dce1df 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 | #dce1df |
| RGB | rgb(220, 225, 223) |
| HSL | hsl(156, 8%, 87%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(2%, 0%, 1%, 12%) |
| LAB | lab(89.1 -2.0 0.4) |
| LCH | lch(89.1 2.1 169.2) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.905 0.006 170.4) |
| Decimal | 14475743 |
| Display P3 | color(display-p3 0.863 0.882 0.875) |
Copy-ready code
/* CSS */
color: #dce1df;
background-color: #dce1df;
/* Tailwind (arbitrary) */
class="text-[#dce1df] bg-[#dce1df]"
/* SCSS */
$brand: #dce1df;
/* SwiftUI */
Color(red: 0.863, green: 0.882, blue: 0.875)
/* Android */
Color.parseColor("#dce1df")
/* Flutter */
Color(0xFFDCE1DF)
/* Python / OpenCV (BGR) */
(223, 225, 220)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. #dce1df is pinned to step 200; the rest hold its hue and let saturation ease off at the extremes so the pale end never turns neon.
:root {
--brand-50: #F7F8F7;
--brand-100: #EFF1F0;
--brand-200: #dce1df;
--brand-300: #C3CBC8;
--brand-400: #A4B1AC;
--brand-500: #869791;
--brand-600: #71847C;
--brand-700: #5E6E68;
--brand-800: #4B5853;
--brand-900: #39423E;
--brand-950: #242927;
--brand: #dce1df;
--brand-ink: #000000;
}Colors that work with #dce1df
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 #dce1df
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 | #E1DCDE | Directly opposite — maximum tension | |
| Analogous left | #DCE1DD | Neighbour, quieter | |
| Analogous right | #DCE1E1 | Neighbour, quieter | |
| Split-complement 1 | #E1DCE1 | Contrast without the clash | |
| Split-complement 2 | #E1DDDC | Contrast without the clash | |
| Triadic 1 | #DFDCE1 | Even thirds — balanced and loud | |
| Triadic 2 | #E1DFDC | Even thirds — balanced and loud | |
| Tetradic | #DDDCE1 | Fourth corner of the square scheme |
RGB percentages
CMYK percentages
Color previews
#dce1df text on a black background
contrast 15.88:1
#dce1df text on a white background
contrast 1.32:1
CSS3 live lab
The quick brown fox
color: #dce1df;
background-color: #dce1df;
Glowing headline
text-shadow: 2px 2px 8px #dce1df;
Soft neon halo
text-shadow: 0 0 14px rgba(220, 225, 223, 0.45);
box-shadow: 0 12px 32px -8px rgba(220, 225, 223, 0.45);
border: 3px solid #dce1df; background: linear-gradient(135deg, #dce1df, #DCE0E1);
Monochromatic scale
Palettes built from #dce1df
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: Gainsboro (#dcdcdc) — ΔE2000 3 away, with its history, psychology and brand usage.
#dce1df in the real world
Where a color in this family tends to land, and the interface roles it is usually asked to play.
Very light tints can drop out on uncoated stock; check it at 100% size before signing off.
#dce1df, answered
What color is #dce1df?
#dce1df is a pale muted gray, closest to Gainsboro (ΔE2000 3). It sits at 156° on the hue wheel with 8% saturation and 87% lightness, which reads as neutral.
What is the RGB value of #dce1df?
rgb(220, 225, 223) — 220 red, 225 green and 223 blue out of 255, or 86.3% / 88.2% / 87.5% by channel.
Is #dce1df a light or a dark color?
It is a light color. Relative luminance is 0.7439 and perceived brightness is 88%, so black text on it reaches 15.88:1.
Should I use black or white text on #dce1df?
Black. It scores 15.88:1 against #dce1df, versus 1.32:1 for white — AAA at any size.
What is the complementary color of #dce1df?
#E1DCDE sits directly opposite on the wheel. Softer options are the split-complements #E1DCE1 and #E1DDDC, which give the same contrast with far less vibration.
What colors go well with #dce1df?
For interface work: #F7F8F7 as the surface, #D3D9D7 for borders, #6A7C75 for secondary text, #715B6B as an accent and #3B4541 for hover and pressed states. For a palette, the analogous pair #DCE1DD and #DCE1E1 stays calm, while #E1DCDE is the loudest partner.
What is #dce1df in CMYK for printing?
cmyk(2%, 0%, 1%, 12%). This is a screen-to-ink approximation — ask your printer for a proof before committing to a run.
Is #dce1df warm or cool?
Neutral — it scores 56 on a scale where 0 is the warmest orange and 100 the coolest azure. Nudged warmer it becomes #E8E3E0; nudged cooler, #D4D9DF.