Brown (#A52A2A)
The hex code for Brown is #A52A2A. It is rgb(165, 42, 42) in RGB, hsl(0, 59%, 41%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 75%, 75%, 35%) in CMYK — a mid-tone red. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#A52A2Argb(165, 42, 42)hsl(0, 59%, 41%)hsv(0, 75%, 65%)cmyk(0%, 75%, 75%, 35%)oklch(48.1% 0.16 25.6)lab(38.15% 50.38 31.83)lch(38.15% 59.60 32.29)Colors Closest to Brown
Brown is a registered color name, also listed as Brown (Web), Red-brown. These are the named colors nearest to it, measured as CIE76 distance in CIELAB — a perceptual scale, so the ordering matches what the eye sees rather than how close the raw RGB numbers happen to sit.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every red in the library.
#A52A2A Channel Values
How Brown 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 165 · G 42 · B 42 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 0° · S 59% · L 41% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 0° · S 75% · V 65% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 75% · Y 75% · K 35% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 7.08:1 vs white · 2.96:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Brown 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 #A52A2A in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With Brown
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Brown; 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 Brown
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 #A52A2A.
How Brown 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.
#A52A2A#525228#7C4529#69691E#855624#A52A2A#A52A2A#585858Using #A52A2A in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--brown: #A52A2A;background-color: #A52A2A;colors: { 'brown': '#A52A2A' }Color(red: 0.647, green: 0.165, blue: 0.165)<color name="brown">#A52A2A</color>fill="#A52A2A"More Red Colors
Brown sits in the red family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#A52A2A Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for Brown?
The hex code for Brown is #A52A2A. That is rgb(165, 42, 42) in RGB, hsl(0, 59%, 41%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(0%, 75%, 75%, 35%) in CMYK.
What is the RGB value of #A52A2A?
#A52A2A is rgb(165, 42, 42) — red 165, green 42, and blue 42 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #A52A2A?
#A52A2A converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 75%, 75%, 35%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #A52A2A be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #A52A2A scores 7.08:1 against white and 2.96:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Is Brown a CSS named color?
Yes. Brown is one of the CSS named colors, so you can write color: brown instead of the hex code.
Open Brown in a Tool
Keep exploring: every red in the color library, the guide to shades of red, or the full color library.