#686959 Color
#686959 is rgb(104, 105, 89) in RGB, hsl(64, 8%, 38%) in HSL, and about cmyk(1%, 0%, 15%, 59%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Ebony (#555D50), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 6.58. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#686959rgb(104, 105, 89)hsl(64, 8%, 38%)hsv(64, 15%, 41%)cmyk(1%, 0%, 15%, 59%)oklch(51.5% 0.024 110.2)lab(43.96% -2.70 8.91)lch(43.96% 9.31 106.85)What #686959 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 #686959, 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.
#686959 Channel Values
How #686959 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 104 · G 105 · B 89 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 64° · S 8% · L 38% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 64° · S 15% · V 41% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 1% · M 0% · Y 15% · K 59% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 5.59:1 vs white · 3.75:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #686959 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 #686959 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #686959
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #686959; 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 #686959
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 #686959.
How #686959 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.
#686959#696959#686959#696959#686959#6A6767#696862#686868Using #686959 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-686959: #686959;background-color: #686959;colors: { 'color-686959': '#686959' }Color(red: 0.408, green: 0.412, blue: 0.349)<color name="color_686959">#686959</color>fill="#686959"More Gray Colors
#686959 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#686959 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #686959?
#686959 is a dark gray — rgb(104, 105, 89) in RGB and hsl(64, 8%, 38%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Ebony (#555D50), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 6.58.
What is the RGB value of #686959?
#686959 is rgb(104, 105, 89) — red 104, green 105, and blue 89 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #686959?
#686959 converts to approximately cmyk(1%, 0%, 15%, 59%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #686959 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #686959 scores 5.59:1 against white and 3.75:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #686959 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #686959 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 9.32, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #686959 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.