#281E15 Color
#281E15 is rgb(40, 30, 21) in RGB, hsl(28, 31%, 12%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 25%, 47%, 84%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Zinnwaldite Brown (#2C1608), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 7.92. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#281E15rgb(40, 30, 21)hsl(28, 31%, 12%)hsv(28, 48%, 16%)cmyk(0%, 25%, 47%, 84%)oklch(24.4% 0.023 63.5)lab(12.28% 3.84 8.12)lch(12.28% 8.98 64.72)What #281E15 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 #281E15, 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 brown in the library.
#281E15 Channel Values
How #281E15 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 40 · G 30 · B 21 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 28° · S 31% · L 12% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 28° · S 48% · V 16% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 25% · Y 47% · K 84% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 16.32:1 vs white · 1.29:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #281E15 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 #281E15 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #281E15
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #281E15; 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 #281E15
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 #281E15.
How #281E15 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.
#281E15#202015#231F15#222215#242015#291D1D#281D1A#202020Using #281E15 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-281e15: #281E15;background-color: #281E15;colors: { 'color-281e15': '#281E15' }Color(red: 0.157, green: 0.118, blue: 0.082)<color name="color_281e15">#281E15</color>fill="#281E15"More Brown Colors
#281E15 sits in the brown family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#281E15 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #281E15?
#281E15 is a darkest brown — rgb(40, 30, 21) in RGB and hsl(28, 31%, 12%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Zinnwaldite Brown (#2C1608), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 7.92.
What is the RGB value of #281E15?
#281E15 is rgb(40, 30, 21) — red 40, green 30, and blue 21 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #281E15?
#281E15 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 25%, 47%, 84%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #281E15 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #281E15 scores 16.32:1 against white and 1.29:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #281E15 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #281E15 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 15.21, which is visibly different.
Open #281E15 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every brown in the color library, the guide to shades of brown, or the full color library.