#A39BAB Color
#A39BAB is rgb(163, 155, 171) in RGB, hsl(270, 9%, 64%) in HSL, and about cmyk(5%, 9%, 0%, 33%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Heliotrope Gray (#AA98A9), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 3.98. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#A39BABrgb(163, 155, 171)hsl(270, 9%, 64%)hsv(270, 9%, 67%)cmyk(5%, 9%, 0%, 33%)oklch(70.1% 0.025 308.1)lab(65.05% 5.32 -7.27)lch(65.05% 9.00 306.18)What #A39BAB 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 #A39BAB, 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.
#A39BAB Channel Values
How #A39BAB 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 163 · G 155 · B 171 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 270° · S 9% · L 64% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 270° · S 9% · V 67% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 5% · M 9% · Y 0% · K 33% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.68:1 vs white · 7.83:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #A39BAB 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 #A39BAB in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #A39BAB
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #A39BAB; 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 #A39BAB
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 #A39BAB.
How #A39BAB 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.
#A39BAB#9C9CAB#9F9CAB#9E9EAB#A09DAB#A19D9D#A29CA3#9E9E9EUsing #A39BAB in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-a39bab: #A39BAB;background-color: #A39BAB;colors: { 'color-a39bab': '#A39BAB' }Color(red: 0.639, green: 0.608, blue: 0.671)<color name="color_a39bab">#A39BAB</color>fill="#A39BAB"More Gray Colors
#A39BAB sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#A39BAB Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #A39BAB?
#A39BAB is a light gray — rgb(163, 155, 171) in RGB and hsl(270, 9%, 64%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Heliotrope Gray (#AA98A9), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 3.98.
What is the RGB value of #A39BAB?
#A39BAB is rgb(163, 155, 171) — red 163, green 155, and blue 171 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #A39BAB?
#A39BAB converts to approximately cmyk(5%, 9%, 0%, 33%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #A39BAB be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #A39BAB scores 2.68:1 against white and 7.83:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #A39BAB as a CSS color keyword?
No. #A39BAB 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 9.93, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #A39BAB in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.