#9BABAB Color
#9BABAB is rgb(155, 171, 171) in RGB, hsl(180, 9%, 64%) in HSL, and about cmyk(9%, 0%, 0%, 33%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Metallic Silver (#A8A9AD), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 6.03. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#9BABABrgb(155, 171, 171)hsl(180, 9%, 64%)hsv(180, 9%, 67%)cmyk(9%, 0%, 0%, 33%)oklch(72.9% 0.018 196.8)lab(68.72% -5.80 -2.01)lch(68.72% 6.14 199.17)What #9BABAB 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 #9BABAB, 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.
#9BABAB Channel Values
How #9BABAB 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 171 · B 171 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 180° · S 9% · L 64% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 180° · S 9% · V 67% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 9% · M 0% · Y 0% · K 33% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.38:1 vs white · 8.81:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #9BABAB 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 #9BABAB in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #9BABAB
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #9BABAB; 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 #9BABAB
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 #9BABAB.
How #9BABAB 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.
#9BABAB#A8A8AB#A3A9AB#A6A6AB#A2A8AB#9BABAB#9BABAB#A8A8A8Using #9BABAB in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-9babab: #9BABAB;background-color: #9BABAB;colors: { 'color-9babab': '#9BABAB' }Color(red: 0.608, green: 0.671, blue: 0.671)<color name="color_9babab">#9BABAB</color>fill="#9BABAB"More Gray Colors
#9BABAB sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#9BABAB Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #9BABAB?
#9BABAB is a light gray — rgb(155, 171, 171) in RGB and hsl(180, 9%, 64%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Metallic Silver (#A8A9AD), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 6.03.
What is the RGB value of #9BABAB?
#9BABAB is rgb(155, 171, 171) — red 155, green 171, and blue 171 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #9BABAB?
#9BABAB converts to approximately cmyk(9%, 0%, 0%, 33%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #9BABAB be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #9BABAB scores 2.38:1 against white and 8.81:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #9BABAB as a CSS color keyword?
No. #9BABAB 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 6.16, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #9BABAB in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.