#979FA1 Color
#979FA1 is rgb(151, 159, 161) in RGB, hsl(192, 5%, 61%) in HSL, and about cmyk(6%, 1%, 0%, 37%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Traffic Gray a (#8F9695), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 3.8. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#979FA1rgb(151, 159, 161)hsl(192, 5%, 61%)hsv(192, 6%, 63%)cmyk(6%, 1%, 0%, 37%)oklch(69.7% 0.01 214.4)lab(64.88% -2.66 -2.09)lch(64.88% 3.38 218.13)What #979FA1 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 #979FA1, 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.
#979FA1 Channel Values
How #979FA1 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 151 · G 159 · B 161 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 192° · S 5% · L 61% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 192° · S 6% · V 63% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 6% · M 1% · Y 0% · K 37% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.7:1 vs white · 7.79:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #979FA1 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 #979FA1 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #979FA1
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #979FA1; 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 #979FA1
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 #979FA1.
How #979FA1 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.
#979FA1#9E9EA1#9B9EA1#9C9CA1#9A9DA1#979F9F#979FA0#9D9D9DUsing #979FA1 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-979fa1: #979FA1;background-color: #979FA1;colors: { 'color-979fa1': '#979FA1' }Color(red: 0.592, green: 0.624, blue: 0.631)<color name="color_979fa1">#979FA1</color>fill="#979FA1"More Gray Colors
#979FA1 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#979FA1 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #979FA1?
#979FA1 is a light gray — rgb(151, 159, 161) in RGB and hsl(192, 5%, 61%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Traffic Gray a (#8F9695), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 3.8.
What is the RGB value of #979FA1?
#979FA1 is rgb(151, 159, 161) — red 151, green 159, and blue 161 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #979FA1?
#979FA1 converts to approximately cmyk(6%, 1%, 0%, 37%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #979FA1 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #979FA1 scores 2.7:1 against white and 7.79:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #979FA1 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #979FA1 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 darkgray (#A9A9A9) at a CIE76 distance of 5.51, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #979FA1 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.