Brown Color Code: #A52A2A, RGB, HSL & CMYK

Brown color values

HEX #A52A2A

RGB rgb(165, 42, 42)

HSL hsl(0, 59%, 41%)

HSV 0, 75%, 65%

HWB hwb(0 16% 35%)

CMYK 0%, 75%, 75%, 35%

Decimal 10824234

CSS keyword brown

41%HSL lightness (medium-dark)

59%HSL saturation (rich)

0°Hue angle (red)

0.098Relative luminance

CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.

What is Brown?

Brown is one of the named colors defined by the CSS Color specifications (keyword “brown”), so every modern browser understands it without a hex code.

Its hue angle of 0° places it in the red part of the color wheel, with 59% saturation (rich) and 41% lightness (medium-dark). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 46% of them and more saturated than 43% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.098, which makes it a dark color. That is below the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so white text has the advantage.

Brown counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 41% and its relative luminance is 0.098. White text reads comfortably on it (7.08:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Brown

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Brown
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	7.08:1 Excellent	Pass	Pass	Pass	Pass
Black text	Sample text	2.96:1 Poor	Fail	Fail	Fail	Fail

Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.

Colors that go with Brown

Complementary color

Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.

≈ Sea#2AA5A5

Analogous colors

Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.

≈ Dark Fuchsia#A52A68 ≈ Leather#A5682A

Triadic colors

A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.

≈ Kelly Green#2AA52A ≈ Royal#2A2AA5

Split-complementary colors

Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.

≈ Seaweed Green#2AA568 ≈ French Blue#2A68A5

Tetradic colors

A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.

≈ Brown Yellow#A5A52A ≈ Sea#2AA5A5 ≈ Royal#2A2AA5

Monochromatic variants

Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.

#330D0D#330D0D

#6C1C1C#6C1C1C

#A52A2A#A52A2A

#D04646#D04646

#DE7F7F#DE7F7F

A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.

Tints and shades of Brown

Lighter tints (mixed with white)

Darker shades (mixed with black)

Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.

Dull Red#BB3F3F Brick#A03623 Firebrick#B22222 Carmine#9D0216 Red Brown#8B2E16 Rouge#AB1239 Dusty Red#B9484E Brick Red#8F1402

Where to use Brown

Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (7.08:1 contrast)
Earthy, natural palettes
Packaging and craft-style layouts
Warm neutrals alongside cream and green
Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations

Use Brown in CSS

:root {
  --color-brown: #A52A2A;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-brown);
  background-color: #A52A2A;
  border: 2px solid #A52A2A;
}

Questions about Brown

What is the HEX code for Brown?

Brown is #A52A2A.

What is the RGB value of Brown?

The RGB value of Brown is 165, 42, 42: 165 red, 42 green and 42 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(165, 42, 42) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Brown?

The HSL value of Brown is 0°, 59%, 41% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(0, 59%, 41%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Brown?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 75%, Y 75%, K 35%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Brown a light or dark color?

Brown counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 41% and its relative luminance is 0.098. White text reads comfortably on it (7.08:1 contrast).

How does Brown look with white text?

White text on Brown has a contrast ratio of 7.08:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

How does Brown look with black text?

Black text on Brown has a contrast ratio of 2.96:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.

What colors go well with Brown?

Sea is its complementary color, and Dark Fuchsia sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Brown be used?

It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (7.08:1 contrast); earthy, natural palettes; packaging and craft-style layouts.

How do I use Brown in CSS?

Use color: #A52A2A; for text, background-color: #A52A2A; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-brown: #A52A2A; and reuse it with var(--color-brown).

About this color page

CSS named color (W3C CSS Color Module). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.

Brown Color Code: #A52A2A