#9C9981 Color
#9C9981 is rgb(156, 153, 129) in RGB, hsl(53, 12%, 56%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 2%, 17%, 39%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Grullo (#A99A86), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 5.47. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#9C9981rgb(156, 153, 129)hsl(53, 12%, 56%)hsv(53, 17%, 61%)cmyk(0%, 2%, 17%, 39%)oklch(67.9% 0.034 101.4)lab(62.98% -1.99 13.09)lch(62.98% 13.24 98.63)What #9C9981 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 #9C9981, 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 yellow in the library.
#9C9981 Channel Values
How #9C9981 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 156 · G 153 · B 129 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 53° · S 12% · L 56% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 53° · S 17% · V 61% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 2% · Y 17% · K 39% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.88:1 vs white · 7.29:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #9C9981 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 #9C9981 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #9C9981
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #9C9981; 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 #9C9981
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 #9C9981.
How #9C9981 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.
#9C9981#9A9A81#9B9981#9A9A81#9B9A81#9F9696#9E978E#989898Using #9C9981 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-9c9981: #9C9981;background-color: #9C9981;colors: { 'color-9c9981': '#9C9981' }Color(red: 0.612, green: 0.600, blue: 0.506)<color name="color_9c9981">#9C9981</color>fill="#9C9981"More Yellow Colors
#9C9981 sits in the yellow family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#9C9981 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #9C9981?
#9C9981 is a mid-tone yellow — rgb(156, 153, 129) in RGB and hsl(53, 12%, 56%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Grullo (#A99A86), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 5.47.
What is the RGB value of #9C9981?
#9C9981 is rgb(156, 153, 129) — red 156, green 153, and blue 129 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #9C9981?
#9C9981 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 2%, 17%, 39%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #9C9981 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #9C9981 scores 2.88:1 against white and 7.29:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #9C9981 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #9C9981 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 14.64, which is visibly different.
Open #9C9981 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.