#9B9A97 Color
#9B9A97 is rgb(155, 154, 151) in RGB, hsl(45, 2%, 60%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 1%, 3%, 39%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Spanish Gray (#989898), below the threshold most people can see at ΔE 1.88. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#9B9A97rgb(155, 154, 151)hsl(45, 2%, 60%)hsv(45, 3%, 61%)cmyk(0%, 1%, 3%, 39%)oklch(68.6% 0.004 91.5)lab(63.62% -0.05 1.71)lch(63.62% 1.71 91.60)What #9B9A97 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 #9B9A97, 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.
#9B9A97 Channel Values
How #9B9A97 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 155 · G 154 · B 151 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 45° · S 2% · L 60% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 45° · S 3% · V 61% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 1% · Y 3% · K 39% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.81:1 vs white · 7.46:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #9B9A97 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 #9B9A97 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #9B9A97
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #9B9A97; 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 #9B9A97
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 #9B9A97.
How #9B9A97 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.
#9B9A97#9A9A97#9B9A97#9A9A97#9B9A97#9B9A9A#9B9A99#9A9A9AUsing #9B9A97 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-9b9a97: #9B9A97;background-color: #9B9A97;colors: { 'color-9b9a97': '#9B9A97' }Color(red: 0.608, green: 0.604, blue: 0.592)<color name="color_9b9a97">#9B9A97</color>fill="#9B9A97"More Gray Colors
#9B9A97 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#9B9A97 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #9B9A97?
#9B9A97 is a light gray — rgb(155, 154, 151) in RGB and hsl(45, 2%, 60%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Spanish Gray (#989898), which is below the threshold most people can see at a CIE76 distance of 1.88.
What is the RGB value of #9B9A97?
#9B9A97 is rgb(155, 154, 151) — red 155, green 154, and blue 151 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #9B9A97?
#9B9A97 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 1%, 3%, 39%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #9B9A97 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #9B9A97 scores 2.81:1 against white and 7.46:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #9B9A97 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #9B9A97 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 5.88, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #9B9A97 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.