#8D8981 Color
#8D8981 is rgb(141, 137, 129) in RGB, hsl(40, 5%, 53%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 3%, 9%, 45%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Middle Gray (#8B8680), below the threshold most people can see at ΔE 1.53. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#8D8981rgb(141, 137, 129)hsl(40, 5%, 53%)hsv(40, 9%, 55%)cmyk(0%, 3%, 9%, 45%)oklch(63.1% 0.013 84.6)lab(57.26% 0.43 4.86)lch(57.26% 4.88 84.94)What #8D8981 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 #8D8981, 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.
#8D8981 Channel Values
How #8D8981 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 141 · G 137 · B 129 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 40° · S 5% · L 53% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 40° · S 9% · V 55% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 3% · Y 9% · K 45% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 3.48:1 vs white · 6.03:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #8D8981 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 #8D8981 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #8D8981
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #8D8981; 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 #8D8981
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 #8D8981.
How #8D8981 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.
#8D8981#8A8A81#8B8981#8A8A81#8B8A81#8E8888#8E8885#898989Using #8D8981 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-8d8981: #8D8981;background-color: #8D8981;colors: { 'color-8d8981': '#8D8981' }Color(red: 0.553, green: 0.537, blue: 0.506)<color name="color_8d8981">#8D8981</color>fill="#8D8981"More Gray Colors
#8D8981 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#8D8981 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #8D8981?
#8D8981 is a mid-tone gray — rgb(141, 137, 129) in RGB and hsl(40, 5%, 53%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Middle Gray (#8B8680), which is below the threshold most people can see at a CIE76 distance of 1.53.
What is the RGB value of #8D8981?
#8D8981 is rgb(141, 137, 129) — red 141, green 137, and blue 129 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #8D8981?
#8D8981 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 3%, 9%, 45%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #8D8981 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #8D8981 scores 3.48:1 against white and 6.03:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #8D8981 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #8D8981 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 6.11, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #8D8981 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.