#A9A0AC Color
#A9A0AC is rgb(169, 160, 172) in RGB, hsl(285, 7%, 65%) in HSL, and about cmyk(2%, 7%, 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 4.81. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#A9A0ACrgb(169, 160, 172)hsl(285, 7%, 65%)hsv(285, 7%, 67%)cmyk(2%, 7%, 0%, 33%)oklch(71.7% 0.02 317.7)lab(66.92% 5.06 -5.02)lch(66.92% 7.13 315.27)What #A9A0AC 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 #A9A0AC, 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.
#A9A0AC Channel Values
How #A9A0AC 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 169 · G 160 · B 172 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 285° · S 7% · L 65% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 285° · S 7% · V 67% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 2% · M 7% · Y 0% · K 33% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.53:1 vs white · 8.31:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #A9A0AC 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 #A9A0AC in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #A9A0AC
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #A9A0AC; 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 #A9A0AC
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 #A9A0AC.
How #A9A0AC 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.
#A9A0AC#A2A2AC#A5A1AC#A3A3AC#A5A2AC#A7A2A2#A8A1A6#A3A3A3Using #A9A0AC in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-a9a0ac: #A9A0AC;background-color: #A9A0AC;colors: { 'color-a9a0ac': '#A9A0AC' }Color(red: 0.663, green: 0.627, blue: 0.675)<color name="color_a9a0ac">#A9A0AC</color>fill="#A9A0AC"More Gray Colors
#A9A0AC sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#A9A0AC Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #A9A0AC?
#A9A0AC is a light gray — rgb(169, 160, 172) in RGB and hsl(285, 7%, 65%) 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 4.81.
What is the RGB value of #A9A0AC?
#A9A0AC is rgb(169, 160, 172) — red 169, green 160, and blue 172 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #A9A0AC?
#A9A0AC converts to approximately cmyk(2%, 7%, 0%, 33%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #A9A0AC be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #A9A0AC scores 2.53:1 against white and 8.31:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #A9A0AC as a CSS color keyword?
No. #A9A0AC 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 7.49, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #A9A0AC in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.