#BDB3B2 Color
#BDB3B2 is rgb(189, 179, 178) in RGB, hsl(5, 8%, 72%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 5%, 6%, 26%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Black Shadows (#BFAFB2), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 3.15. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#BDB3B2rgb(189, 179, 178)hsl(5, 8%, 72%)hsv(5, 6%, 74%)cmyk(0%, 5%, 6%, 26%)oklch(77.5% 0.012 24.4)lab(73.76% 3.55 1.85)lch(73.76% 4.00 27.59)What #BDB3B2 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 #BDB3B2, 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.
#BDB3B2 Channel Values
How #BDB3B2 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 189 · G 179 · B 178 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 5° · S 8% · L 72% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 5° · S 6% · V 74% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 5% · Y 6% · K 26% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.05:1 vs white · 10.25:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #BDB3B2 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 #BDB3B2 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #BDB3B2
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #BDB3B2; 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 #BDB3B2
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 #BDB3B2.
How #BDB3B2 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.
#BDB3B2#B5B5B2#B8B4B2#B6B6B2#B9B5B2#BDB3B3#BDB3B3#B5B5B5Using #BDB3B2 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-bdb3b2: #BDB3B2;background-color: #BDB3B2;colors: { 'color-bdb3b2': '#BDB3B2' }Color(red: 0.741, green: 0.702, blue: 0.698)<color name="color_bdb3b2">#BDB3B2</color>fill="#BDB3B2"More Gray Colors
#BDB3B2 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#BDB3B2 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #BDB3B2?
#BDB3B2 is a light gray — rgb(189, 179, 178) in RGB and hsl(5, 8%, 72%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Black Shadows (#BFAFB2), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 3.15.
What is the RGB value of #BDB3B2?
#BDB3B2 is rgb(189, 179, 178) — red 189, green 179, and blue 178 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #BDB3B2?
#BDB3B2 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 5%, 6%, 26%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #BDB3B2 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #BDB3B2 scores 2.05:1 against white and 10.25:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #BDB3B2 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #BDB3B2 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 silver (#C0C0C0) at a CIE76 distance of 5.62, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #BDB3B2 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.