#3B2A21 Color
#3B2A21 is rgb(59, 42, 33) in RGB, hsl(21, 28%, 18%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 29%, 44%, 77%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Bister (Bistre) (#3D2B1F), below the threshold most people can see at ΔE 2.19. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#3B2A21rgb(59, 42, 33)hsl(21, 28%, 18%)hsv(21, 44%, 23%)cmyk(0%, 29%, 44%, 77%)oklch(30.2% 0.03 49.1)lab(18.91% 7.08 9.14)lch(18.91% 11.56 52.24)What #3B2A21 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 #3B2A21, 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.
#3B2A21 Channel Values
How #3B2A21 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 59 · G 42 · B 33 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 21° · S 28% · L 18% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 21° · S 44% · V 23% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 29% · Y 44% · K 77% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 13.64:1 vs white · 1.54:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #3B2A21 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 #3B2A21 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #3B2A21
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #3B2A21; 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 #3B2A21
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 #3B2A21.
How #3B2A21 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.
#3B2A21#2D2D21#332C21#303020#352E21#3C2929#3B2926#2E2E2EUsing #3B2A21 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-3b2a21: #3B2A21;background-color: #3B2A21;colors: { 'color-3b2a21': '#3B2A21' }Color(red: 0.231, green: 0.165, blue: 0.129)<color name="color_3b2a21">#3B2A21</color>fill="#3B2A21"More Brown Colors
#3B2A21 sits in the brown family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#3B2A21 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #3B2A21?
#3B2A21 is a darkest brown — rgb(59, 42, 33) in RGB and hsl(21, 28%, 18%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Bister (Bistre) (#3D2B1F), which is below the threshold most people can see at a CIE76 distance of 2.19.
What is the RGB value of #3B2A21?
#3B2A21 is rgb(59, 42, 33) — red 59, green 42, and blue 33 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #3B2A21?
#3B2A21 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 29%, 44%, 77%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #3B2A21 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #3B2A21 scores 13.64:1 against white and 1.54:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #3B2A21 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #3B2A21 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 22.16, which is visibly different.
Open #3B2A21 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every brown in the color library, the guide to shades of brown, or the full color library.