#856D38 Color
#856D38 is rgb(133, 109, 56) in RGB, hsl(41, 41%, 37%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 18%, 58%, 48%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Spanish Bister(spanish Bistre) (#807532), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 8.6. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#856D38rgb(133, 109, 56)hsl(41, 41%, 37%)hsv(41, 58%, 52%)cmyk(0%, 18%, 58%, 48%)oklch(54.6% 0.077 85.4)lab(47.52% 4.81 32.92)lch(47.52% 33.27 81.69)What #856D38 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 #856D38, 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 yellow in the library.
#856D38 Channel Values
How #856D38 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 133 · G 109 · B 56 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 41° · S 41% · L 37% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 41° · S 58% · V 52% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 18% · Y 58% · K 48% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 4.95:1 vs white · 4.24:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #856D38 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 #856D38 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #856D38
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #856D38; 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 #856D38
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 #856D38.
How #856D38 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.
#856D38#727238#7A7038#767636#7C7237#896868#876A59#707070Using #856D38 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-856d38: #856D38;background-color: #856D38;colors: { 'color-856d38': '#856D38' }Color(red: 0.522, green: 0.427, blue: 0.220)<color name="color_856d38">#856D38</color>fill="#856D38"More Yellow Colors
#856D38 sits in the yellow family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#856D38 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #856D38?
#856D38 is a dark yellow — rgb(133, 109, 56) in RGB and hsl(41, 41%, 37%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Spanish Bister(spanish Bistre) (#807532), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 8.6.
What is the RGB value of #856D38?
#856D38 is rgb(133, 109, 56) — red 133, green 109, and blue 56 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #856D38?
#856D38 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 18%, 58%, 48%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #856D38 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #856D38 scores 4.95:1 against white and 4.24:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #856D38 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #856D38 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 darkolivegreen (#556B2F) at a CIE76 distance of 21.98, which is visibly different.
Open #856D38 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.