#BDB9AD Color
#BDB9AD is rgb(189, 185, 173) in RGB, hsl(45, 11%, 71%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 2%, 8%, 26%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Greige (#BEB7A4), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 4.05. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#BDB9ADrgb(189, 185, 173)hsl(45, 11%, 71%)hsv(45, 8%, 74%)cmyk(0%, 2%, 8%, 26%)oklch(78.6% 0.017 91.6)lab(75.22% -0.12 6.64)lch(75.22% 6.64 91.05)What #BDB9AD 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 #BDB9AD, 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 yellow in the library.
#BDB9AD Channel Values
How #BDB9AD 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 185 · B 173 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 45° · S 11% · L 71% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 45° · S 8% · V 74% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 2% · Y 8% · K 26% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 1.96:1 vs white · 10.71:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #BDB9AD 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 #BDB9AD in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #BDB9AD
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #BDB9AD; 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 #BDB9AD
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 #BDB9AD.
How #BDB9AD 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.
#BDB9AD#BABAAD#BBB9AD#BABAAD#BBBAAD#BEB8B8#BEB8B3#B9B9B9Using #BDB9AD in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-bdb9ad: #BDB9AD;background-color: #BDB9AD;colors: { 'color-bdb9ad': '#BDB9AD' }Color(red: 0.741, green: 0.725, blue: 0.678)<color name="color_bdb9ad">#BDB9AD</color>fill="#BDB9AD"More Yellow Colors
#BDB9AD sits in the yellow family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#BDB9AD Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #BDB9AD?
#BDB9AD is a light yellow — rgb(189, 185, 173) in RGB and hsl(45, 11%, 71%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Greige (#BEB7A4), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 4.05.
What is the RGB value of #BDB9AD?
#BDB9AD is rgb(189, 185, 173) — red 189, green 185, and blue 173 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #BDB9AD?
#BDB9AD converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 2%, 8%, 26%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #BDB9AD be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #BDB9AD scores 1.96:1 against white and 10.71:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #BDB9AD as a CSS color keyword?
No. #BDB9AD 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 7.09, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #BDB9AD in a Tool
Keep exploring: every yellow in the color library, the guide to shades of yellow, or the full color library.