Dust Color Code: #B2996E, RGB, HSL & CMYK

Dust color values

HEX #B2996E

RGB rgb(178, 153, 110)

HSL hsl(38, 31%, 56%)

HSV 38, 38%, 70%

HWB hwb(38 43% 30%)

CMYK 0%, 14%, 38%, 30%

Decimal 11704686

56%HSL lightness (medium)

31%HSL saturation (soft)

38°Hue angle (orange)

0.334Relative luminance

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

What is Dust?

“Dust” 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 38° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 31% saturation (soft) and 56% lightness (medium). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 69% of them and more saturated than 11% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.334, which makes it a light color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.

Dust counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 56% and its relative luminance is 0.334. Black text reads best on it (7.67:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Dust

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Dust
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	2.73:1 Poor	Fail	Fail	Fail	Fail
Black text	Sample text	7.67:1 Excellent	Pass	Pass	Pass	Pass

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

Colors that go with Dust

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.

≈ Faded Blue#6E87B2

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.

≈ Dusty Rose#B2776E ≈ Tan Green#A9B26E

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.

≈ Pale Teal#6EB299 ≈ Soft Purple#996EB2

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.

≈ Cadet Blue#6EA9B2 ≈ Deep Lilac#776EB2

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.

≈ Sage Green#87B26E ≈ Faded Blue#6E87B2 ≈ Soft Purple#996EB2

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.

#5F4E32#5F4E32

#8D754B#8D754B

#B2996E#B2996E

#CBBA9D#CBBA9D

#E4DBCB#E4DBCB

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 Dust

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.

Dark Beige#AC9362 Pale Brown#B1916E Taupe#B9A281 Dark Sand#A88F59 Putty#BEAE8A Fawn#CFAF7B Sandstone#C9AE74 Tan#D2B48C

Where to use Dust

Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (7.67:1 contrast with black)
Packaging and craft-style layouts
Warm neutrals alongside cream and green
Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations
Earthy, natural palettes

Use Dust in CSS

:root {
  --color-dust: #B2996E;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-dust);
  background-color: #B2996E;
  border: 2px solid #B2996E;
}

Questions about Dust

What is the HEX code for Dust?

Dust is #B2996E.

What is the RGB value of Dust?

The RGB value of Dust is 178, 153, 110: 178 red, 153 green and 110 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(178, 153, 110) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Dust?

The HSL value of Dust is 38°, 31%, 56% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(38, 31%, 56%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Dust?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 14%, Y 38%, K 30%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Dust a light or dark color?

Dust counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 56% and its relative luminance is 0.334. Black text reads best on it (7.67:1 contrast).

How does Dust look with white text?

White text on Dust has a contrast ratio of 2.73:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.

How does Dust look with black text?

Black text on Dust has a contrast ratio of 7.67:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Dust?

Faded Blue is its complementary color, and Dusty Rose sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Dust be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (7.67:1 contrast with black); packaging and craft-style layouts; warm neutrals alongside cream and green.

How do I use Dust in CSS?

Use color: #B2996E; for text, background-color: #B2996E; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-dust: #B2996E; and reuse it with var(--color-dust).

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.

Dust Color Code: #B2996E