Dull Brown Color Code: #876E4B, RGB & HSL

Dull Brown color values

HEX #876E4B

RGB rgb(135, 110, 75)

HSL hsl(35, 29%, 41%)

HSV 35, 44%, 53%

HWB hwb(35 29% 47%)

CMYK 0%, 19%, 44%, 47%

Decimal 8875595

41%HSL lightness (medium-dark)

29%HSL saturation (soft)

35°Hue angle (orange)

0.168Relative luminance

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

What is Dull Brown?

“Dull Brown” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.

Its hue angle of 35° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 29% saturation (soft) 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 6% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.168, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is below the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so white text has the advantage.

Dull Brown counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 41% and its relative luminance is 0.168. White text reads comfortably on it (4.81:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Dull Brown

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Dull Brown
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	4.81:1 Good	Pass	Pass	Fail	Pass
Black text	Sample text	4.36:1 Limited	Fail	Pass	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 Dull 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.

≈ Denim#4B6487

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.

≈ Purple Brown#87504B ≈ Drab#82874B

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.

≈ Slate Green#4B876E ≈ Muted Purple#6E4B87

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.

≈ Deep Aqua#4B8287 ≈ Twilight#504B87

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.

≈ Military Green#64874B ≈ Denim#4B6487 ≈ Muted Purple#6E4B87

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.

#2B2318#2B2318

#594931#594931

#876E4B#876E4B

#AD926C#AD926C

#C7B49A#C7B49A

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 Dull 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.

Dirt#8A6E45 Dark Taupe#7F684E Gray Brown#7F7053 Dirt Brown#836539 Mocha#9D7651 Cocoa#875F42 Puce#A57E52 Brown Gray#8D8468

Where to use Dull Brown

Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.81:1 contrast)
Calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements
Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations
Earthy, natural palettes
Packaging and craft-style layouts

Use Dull Brown in CSS

:root {
  --color-dull-brown: #876E4B;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-dull-brown);
  background-color: #876E4B;
  border: 2px solid #876E4B;
}

Questions about Dull Brown

What is the HEX code for Dull Brown?

Dull Brown is #876E4B.

What is the RGB value of Dull Brown?

The RGB value of Dull Brown is 135, 110, 75: 135 red, 110 green and 75 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(135, 110, 75) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Dull Brown?

The HSL value of Dull Brown is 35°, 29%, 41% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(35, 29%, 41%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Dull Brown?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 19%, Y 44%, K 47%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Dull Brown a light or dark color?

Dull Brown counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 41% and its relative luminance is 0.168. White text reads comfortably on it (4.81:1 contrast).

How does Dull Brown look with white text?

White text on Dull Brown has a contrast ratio of 4.81:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

How does Dull Brown look with black text?

Black text on Dull Brown has a contrast ratio of 4.36:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

What colors go well with Dull Brown?

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

Where can Dull Brown be used?

It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.81:1 contrast); calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements; large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough.

How do I use Dull Brown in CSS?

Use color: #876E4B; for text, background-color: #876E4B; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-dull-brown: #876E4B; and reuse it with var(--color-dull-brown).

About this color page

Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). 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.

Dull Brown Color Code: #876E4B