#856D4C Color
#856D4C is rgb(133, 109, 76) in RGB, hsl(35, 27%, 41%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 18%, 43%, 48%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is French Bister(french Bistre) (#856D4D), indistinguishable to the eye at ΔE 0.56. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#856D4Crgb(133, 109, 76)hsl(35, 27%, 41%)hsv(35, 43%, 52%)cmyk(0%, 18%, 43%, 48%)oklch(55% 0.056 75)lab(47.78% 6.29 22.20)lch(47.78% 23.07 74.18)What #856D4C 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 #856D4C, 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.
#856D4C Channel Values
How #856D4C 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 76 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 35° · S 27% · L 41% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 35° · S 43% · V 52% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 18% · Y 43% · K 48% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 4.9:1 vs white · 4.29:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #856D4C 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 #856D4C in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #856D4C
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #856D4C; 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 #856D4C
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 #856D4C.
How #856D4C 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.
#856D4C#72724C#7A704C#76764B#7C724B#886A6A#876B5F#717171Using #856D4C in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-856d4c: #856D4C;background-color: #856D4C;colors: { 'color-856d4c': '#856D4C' }Color(red: 0.522, green: 0.427, blue: 0.298)<color name="color_856d4c">#856D4C</color>fill="#856D4C"More Brown Colors
#856D4C sits in the brown family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#856D4C Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #856D4C?
#856D4C is a mid-tone brown — rgb(133, 109, 76) in RGB and hsl(35, 27%, 41%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is French Bister(french Bistre) (#856D4D), which is indistinguishable to the eye at a CIE76 distance of 0.56.
What is the RGB value of #856D4C?
#856D4C is rgb(133, 109, 76) — red 133, green 109, and blue 76 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #856D4C?
#856D4C converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 18%, 43%, 48%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #856D4C be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #856D4C scores 4.9:1 against white and 4.29:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #856D4C as a CSS color keyword?
No. #856D4C 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 23.32, which is visibly different.
Open #856D4C in a Tool
Keep exploring: every brown in the color library, the guide to shades of brown, or the full color library.