#556261 Color
#556261 is rgb(85, 98, 97) in RGB, hsl(175, 7%, 36%) in HSL, and about cmyk(13%, 0%, 1%, 62%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Iron Gray (#555D61), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 3.88. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#556261rgb(85, 98, 97)hsl(175, 7%, 36%)hsv(175, 13%, 38%)cmyk(13%, 0%, 1%, 62%)oklch(48.5% 0.016 191)lab(40.41% -5.34 -1.21)lch(40.41% 5.48 192.75)What #556261 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 #556261, 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.
#556261 Channel Values
How #556261 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 85 · G 98 · B 97 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 175° · S 7% · L 36% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 175° · S 13% · V 38% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 13% · M 0% · Y 1% · K 62% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 6.35:1 vs white · 3.31:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #556261 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 #556261 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #556261
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #556261; 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 #556261
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 #556261.
How #556261 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.
#556261#606061#5C6161#5E5E61#5A6061#556262#556262#5F5F5FUsing #556261 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-556261: #556261;background-color: #556261;colors: { 'color-556261': '#556261' }Color(red: 0.333, green: 0.384, blue: 0.380)<color name="color_556261">#556261</color>fill="#556261"More Gray Colors
#556261 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#556261 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #556261?
#556261 is a dark gray — rgb(85, 98, 97) in RGB and hsl(175, 7%, 36%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Iron Gray (#555D61), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 3.88.
What is the RGB value of #556261?
#556261 is rgb(85, 98, 97) — red 85, green 98, and blue 97 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #556261?
#556261 converts to approximately cmyk(13%, 0%, 1%, 62%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #556261 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #556261 scores 6.35:1 against white and 3.31:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #556261 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #556261 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 dimgray (#696969) at a CIE76 distance of 6.78, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #556261 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.