#B9ACAE Color
#B9ACAE is rgb(185, 172, 174) in RGB, hsl(351, 8%, 70%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 7%, 6%, 27%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Black Shadows (#BFAFB2), below the threshold most people can see at ΔE 1.86. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#B9ACAErgb(185, 172, 174)hsl(351, 8%, 70%)hsv(351, 7%, 73%)cmyk(0%, 7%, 6%, 27%)oklch(75.6% 0.015 6.8)lab(71.51% 5.09 0.74)lch(71.51% 5.14 8.28)What #B9ACAE 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 #B9ACAE, 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.
#B9ACAE Channel Values
How #B9ACAE 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 185 · G 172 · B 174 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 351° · S 8% · L 70% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 351° · S 7% · V 73% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 7% · Y 6% · K 27% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.19:1 vs white · 9.58:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #B9ACAE 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 #B9ACAE in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #B9ACAE
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #B9ACAE; 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 #B9ACAE
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 #B9ACAE.
How #B9ACAE 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.
#B9ACAE#AEAEAE#B3ADAE#B0B0AE#B4AFAE#B9ACAC#B9ACAD#AFAFAFUsing #B9ACAE in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-b9acae: #B9ACAE;background-color: #B9ACAE;colors: { 'color-b9acae': '#B9ACAE' }Color(red: 0.725, green: 0.675, blue: 0.682)<color name="color_b9acae">#B9ACAE</color>fill="#B9ACAE"More Gray Colors
#B9ACAE sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#B9ACAE Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #B9ACAE?
#B9ACAE is a light gray — rgb(185, 172, 174) in RGB and hsl(351, 8%, 70%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Black Shadows (#BFAFB2), which is below the threshold most people can see at a CIE76 distance of 1.86.
What is the RGB value of #B9ACAE?
#B9ACAE is rgb(185, 172, 174) — red 185, green 172, and blue 174 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #B9ACAE?
#B9ACAE converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 7%, 6%, 27%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #B9ACAE be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #B9ACAE scores 2.19:1 against white and 9.58:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #B9ACAE as a CSS color keyword?
No. #B9ACAE 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 5.62, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #B9ACAE in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.