#481B09 Color
#481B09 is rgb(72, 27, 9) in RGB, hsl(17, 78%, 16%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 63%, 88%, 72%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Black Bean (#3D0C02), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 7.61. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#481B09rgb(72, 27, 9)hsl(17, 78%, 16%)hsv(17, 88%, 28%)cmyk(0%, 63%, 88%, 72%)oklch(28.7% 0.074 40.8)lab(16.72% 21.09 21.43)lch(16.72% 30.07 45.47)What #481B09 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 #481B09, 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.
#481B09 Channel Values
How #481B09 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 72 · G 27 · B 9 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 17° · S 78% · L 16% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 17° · S 88% · V 28% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 63% · Y 88% · K 72% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 14.62:1 vs white · 1.44:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #481B09 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 #481B09 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #481B09
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #481B09; 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 #481B09
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 #481B09.
How #481B09 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.
#481B09#272708#372309#2F2F04#3B2806#491919#481A14#292929Using #481B09 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-481b09: #481B09;background-color: #481B09;colors: { 'color-481b09': '#481B09' }Color(red: 0.282, green: 0.106, blue: 0.035)<color name="color_481b09">#481B09</color>fill="#481B09"More Brown Colors
#481B09 sits in the brown family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#481B09 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #481B09?
#481B09 is a darkest brown — rgb(72, 27, 9) in RGB and hsl(17, 78%, 16%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Black Bean (#3D0C02), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 7.61.
What is the RGB value of #481B09?
#481B09 is rgb(72, 27, 9) — red 72, green 27, and blue 9 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #481B09?
#481B09 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 63%, 88%, 72%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #481B09 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #481B09 scores 14.62:1 against white and 1.44:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #481B09 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #481B09 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 saddlebrown (#8B4513) at a CIE76 distance of 30.07, which is a different colour altogether.
Open #481B09 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every brown in the color library, the guide to shades of brown, or the full color library.