#A09BA1 Color
#A09BA1 is rgb(160, 155, 161) in RGB, hsl(290, 3%, 62%) in HSL, and about cmyk(1%, 4%, 0%, 37%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Spanish Gray (#989898), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 4.06. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#A09BA1rgb(160, 155, 161)hsl(290, 3%, 62%)hsv(290, 4%, 63%)cmyk(1%, 4%, 0%, 37%)oklch(69.6% 0.01 320.6)lab(64.55% 2.73 -2.47)lch(64.55% 3.68 317.94)What #A09BA1 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 #A09BA1, 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.
#A09BA1 Channel Values
How #A09BA1 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 160 · G 155 · B 161 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 290° · S 3% · L 62% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 290° · S 4% · V 63% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 1% · M 4% · Y 0% · K 37% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.73:1 vs white · 7.7:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #A09BA1 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 #A09BA1 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #A09BA1
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #A09BA1; 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 #A09BA1
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 #A09BA1.
How #A09BA1 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.
#A09BA1#9C9CA1#9E9CA1#9D9DA1#9E9CA1#9F9C9C#A09B9E#9D9D9DUsing #A09BA1 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-a09ba1: #A09BA1;background-color: #A09BA1;colors: { 'color-a09ba1': '#A09BA1' }Color(red: 0.627, green: 0.608, blue: 0.631)<color name="color_a09ba1">#A09BA1</color>fill="#A09BA1"More Gray Colors
#A09BA1 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#A09BA1 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #A09BA1?
#A09BA1 is a light gray — rgb(160, 155, 161) in RGB and hsl(290, 3%, 62%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Spanish Gray (#989898), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 4.06.
What is the RGB value of #A09BA1?
#A09BA1 is rgb(160, 155, 161) — red 160, green 155, and blue 161 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #A09BA1?
#A09BA1 converts to approximately cmyk(1%, 4%, 0%, 37%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #A09BA1 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #A09BA1 scores 2.73:1 against white and 7.7:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #A09BA1 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #A09BA1 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 5.96, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #A09BA1 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.