#A59997 Color
#A59997 is rgb(165, 153, 151) in RGB, hsl(9, 7%, 62%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 7%, 8%, 35%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Spanish Gray (#989898), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 5.27. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#A59997rgb(165, 153, 151)hsl(9, 7%, 62%)hsv(9, 8%, 65%)cmyk(0%, 7%, 8%, 35%)oklch(69.3% 0.014 28.9)lab(64.23% 4.29 2.73)lch(64.23% 5.08 32.44)What #A59997 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 #A59997, 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.
#A59997 Channel Values
How #A59997 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 153 · B 151 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 9° · S 7% · L 62% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 9° · S 8% · V 65% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 7% · Y 8% · K 35% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.76:1 vs white · 7.6:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #A59997 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 #A59997 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #A59997
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #A59997; 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 #A59997
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 #A59997.
How #A59997 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.
#A59997#9B9B97#9F9A97#9D9D97#A09B97#A59999#A59998#9C9C9CUsing #A59997 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-a59997: #A59997;background-color: #A59997;colors: { 'color-a59997': '#A59997' }Color(red: 0.647, green: 0.600, blue: 0.592)<color name="color_a59997">#A59997</color>fill="#A59997"More Gray Colors
#A59997 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#A59997 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #A59997?
#A59997 is a light gray — rgb(165, 153, 151) in RGB and hsl(9, 7%, 62%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Spanish Gray (#989898), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 5.27.
What is the RGB value of #A59997?
#A59997 is rgb(165, 153, 151) — red 165, green 153, and blue 151 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #A59997?
#A59997 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 7%, 8%, 35%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #A59997 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #A59997 scores 2.76:1 against white and 7.6:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #A59997 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #A59997 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 7.14, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #A59997 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.