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Taupe Gray (#8B8589)

The hex code for Taupe Gray is #8B8589. It is rgb(139, 133, 137) in RGB, hsl(320, 3%, 53%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 4%, 1%, 45%) in CMYK — a mid-tone gray. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.

#8B8589
HEX#8B8589
RGBrgb(139, 133, 137)
HSLhsl(320, 3%, 53%)
HSVhsv(320, 4%, 55%)
CMYKcmyk(0%, 4%, 1%, 45%)
OKLCHoklch(62.3% 0.009 337.6)
LABlab(56.16% 2.90 -1.31)
LCHlch(56.16% 3.18 335.65)

Colors Closest to Taupe Gray

Taupe Gray is a registered color name. These are the named colors nearest to it, measured as CIE76 distance in CIELAB — a perceptual scale, so the ordering matches what the eye sees rather than how close the raw RGB numbers happen to sit.

Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every gray in the library.

#8B8589 Channel Values

How Taupe Gray breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.

ModelChannelsNotes
RGBR 139 · G 133 · B 1378-bit channels as sent to the display
HSLH 320° · S 3% · L 53%Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants
HSVH 320° · S 4% · V 55%Matches the picker in most design tools
CMYKC 0% · M 4% · Y 1% · K 45%Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing
Luminance3.61:1 vs white · 5.81:1 vs blackWCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios

Text Contrast & Accessibility

WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Taupe Gray 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.

TextWhite text3.61:1AA normal AA large AAA normal
TextBlack text5.81:1AA normal AA large AAA normal

Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #8B8589 in the contrast checker.

Colors That Go With Taupe Gray

Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Taupe Gray; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.

Base
Complementary
Analogous
Analogous
Triadic
Triadic
Split comp.
Split comp.

Tints & Shades of Taupe Gray

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.

Tints

Shades

Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #8B8589.

How Taupe Gray 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.

Typical#8B8589
Protanopia#868689
Protanomaly#888689
Deuteranopia#878789
Deuteranomaly#898689
Tritanopia#8B8686
Tritanomaly#8B8587
Achromatopsia#878787

Test a full palette in the color blindness simulator.

Using #8B8589 in Code

Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.

CSS custom property--taupe-gray: #8B8589;
CSS backgroundbackground-color: #8B8589;
Tailwind configcolors: { 'taupe-gray': '#8B8589' }
SwiftUIColor(red: 0.545, green: 0.522, blue: 0.537)
Android XML<color name="taupe_gray">#8B8589</color>
SVG fillfill="#8B8589"

More Gray Colors

Taupe Gray sits in the grayfamily. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.

#8B8589 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hex code for Taupe Gray?

The hex code for Taupe Gray is #8B8589. That is rgb(139, 133, 137) in RGB, hsl(320, 3%, 53%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(0%, 4%, 1%, 45%) in CMYK.

What is the RGB value of #8B8589?

#8B8589 is rgb(139, 133, 137) — red 139, green 133, and blue 137 on the 0-255 scale.

What is the CMYK value of #8B8589?

#8B8589 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 4%, 1%, 45%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.

Should text on #8B8589 be black or white?

Black text is the more readable choice. #8B8589 scores 3.61:1 against white and 5.81:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.

Can I write #8B8589 as a CSS color keyword?

No. #8B8589 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 gray (#808080) at a CIE76 distance of 4.1, which is very hard to tell apart.

Open Taupe Gray in a Tool

Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.