#272B28 Color
#272B28 is rgb(39, 43, 40) in RGB, hsl(135, 5%, 16%) in HSL, and about cmyk(9%, 0%, 7%, 83%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Charcoal Black (#232B2B), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 2.85. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#272B28rgb(39, 43, 40)hsl(135, 5%, 16%)hsv(135, 9%, 17%)cmyk(9%, 0%, 7%, 83%)oklch(28.4% 0.008 153.4)lab(17.05% -2.40 1.32)lch(17.05% 2.73 151.14)What #272B28 Is Called
Most hex codes have no name: there are 16.7 million of them and a few thousand registered names. These are the named colors nearest to #272B28, ordered by CIE76 distance in CIELAB. Anything under about ΔE 2 is a difference most people cannot see.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every gray in the library.
#272B28 Channel Values
How #272B28 breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.
| Model | Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | R 39 · G 43 · B 40 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 135° · S 5% · L 16% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 135° · S 9% · V 17% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 9% · M 0% · Y 7% · K 83% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 14.36:1 vs white · 1.46:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #272B28 background. AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Contrast is one check, not a full accessibility review.
Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #272B28 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #272B28
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #272B28; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.
Tints & Shades of #272B28
Lighter tints and darker shades built by moving the lightness channel while holding hue and saturation, which is what you want for hover states, backgrounds, and text variants.
Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #272B28.
How #272B28 Looks with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulated with the Viénot, Brettel & Mollon LMS projection model. Anomalous types are rendered as partial versions of the matching dichromacy, which is an approximation rather than a per-person clinical model.
#272B28#2A2A28#292B28#2A2A28#292A28#272B2B#272B2A#2A2A2AUsing #272B28 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-272b28: #272B28;background-color: #272B28;colors: { 'color-272b28': '#272B28' }Color(red: 0.153, green: 0.169, blue: 0.157)<color name="color_272b28">#272B28</color>fill="#272B28"More Gray Colors
#272B28 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#272B28 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #272B28?
#272B28 is a darkest gray — rgb(39, 43, 40) in RGB and hsl(135, 5%, 16%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Charcoal Black (#232B2B), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 2.85.
What is the RGB value of #272B28?
#272B28 is rgb(39, 43, 40) — red 39, green 43, and blue 40 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #272B28?
#272B28 converts to approximately cmyk(9%, 0%, 7%, 83%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #272B28 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #272B28 scores 14.36:1 against white and 1.46:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #272B28 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #272B28 is not one of the CSS color keywords, so it has to be written as a hex, rgb() or hsl() value. The closest keyword is black (#000000) at a CIE76 distance of 17.26, which is visibly different.
Open #272B28 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.