Brass (#B5A642)
The hex code for Brass is #B5A642. It is rgb(181, 166, 66) in RGB, hsl(52, 47%, 48%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 8%, 64%, 29%) in CMYK — a mid-tone yellow. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#B5A642rgb(181, 166, 66)hsl(52, 47%, 48%)hsv(52, 64%, 71%)cmyk(0%, 8%, 64%, 29%)oklch(71.9% 0.121 100.8)lab(67.98% -3.25 52.02)lch(67.98% 52.12 93.58)Colors Closest to Brass
Brass is a registered color name. 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 yellow in the library.
#B5A642 Channel Values
How Brass 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 181 · G 166 · B 66 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 52° · S 47% · L 48% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 52° · S 64% · V 71% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 8% · Y 64% · K 29% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.47:1 vs white · 8.5:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Brass 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 #B5A642 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With Brass
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Brass; 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 Brass
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 #B5A642.
How Brass 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.
#B5A642#A9A942#AEA842#ABAB41#AFA941#BC9E9E#B9A183#A5A5A5Using #B5A642 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--brass: #B5A642;background-color: #B5A642;colors: { 'brass': '#B5A642' }Color(red: 0.710, green: 0.651, blue: 0.259)<color name="brass">#B5A642</color>fill="#B5A642"More Yellow Colors
Brass sits in the yellowfamily. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#B5A642 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for Brass?
The hex code for Brass is #B5A642. That is rgb(181, 166, 66) in RGB, hsl(52, 47%, 48%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(0%, 8%, 64%, 29%) in CMYK.
What is the RGB value of #B5A642?
#B5A642 is rgb(181, 166, 66) — red 181, green 166, and blue 66 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #B5A642?
#B5A642 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 8%, 64%, 29%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #B5A642 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #B5A642 scores 2.47:1 against white and 8.5:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #B5A642 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #B5A642 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 darkkhaki (#BDB76B) at a CIE76 distance of 14.18, which is visibly different.
Open Brass in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.