Brown color · XKCD survey name
Putty Color Code: #BEAE8A
Putty is a medium-light, soft orange color with the hexadecimal value #BEAE8A. In RGB it is 190, 174, 138 and in HSL it is 42°, 29%, 64%. Black text reads best on it (9.61:1 contrast).
Putty color values
#BEAE8A
rgb(190, 174, 138)
hsl(42, 29%, 64%)
42, 27%, 75%
hwb(42 54% 25%)
0%, 8%, 27%, 25%
12496522
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Putty?
“Putty” 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 42° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 29% saturation (soft) and 64% lightness (medium-light). It is a warm color.
Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 82% of them and more saturated than 6% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.430, 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.
Putty counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 64% and its relative luminance is 0.430. Black text reads best on it (9.61:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Putty
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 2.18:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 9.61:1 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 Putty
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Putty
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.
Similar colors
Where to use Putty
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (9.61:1 contrast with black)
- Calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements
- Earthy, natural palettes
- Packaging and craft-style layouts
- Warm neutrals alongside cream and green
- Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations
Use Putty in CSS
:root {
--color-putty: #BEAE8A;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-putty);
background-color: #BEAE8A;
border: 2px solid #BEAE8A;
}Questions about Putty
What is the HEX code for Putty?
Putty is #BEAE8A.
What is the RGB value of Putty?
The RGB value of Putty is 190, 174, 138: 190 red, 174 green and 138 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(190, 174, 138) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Putty?
The HSL value of Putty is 42°, 29%, 64% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(42, 29%, 64%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Putty?
A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 8%, Y 27%, K 25%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Putty a light or dark color?
Putty counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 64% and its relative luminance is 0.430. Black text reads best on it (9.61:1 contrast).
How does Putty look with white text?
White text on Putty has a contrast ratio of 2.18:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
How does Putty look with black text?
Black text on Putty has a contrast ratio of 9.61:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Putty?
Faded Blue is its complementary color, and Rosy Brown sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Putty be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (9.61:1 contrast with black); calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements; earthy, natural palettes.
How do I use Putty in CSS?
Use color: #BEAE8A; for text, background-color: #BEAE8A; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-putty: #BEAE8A; and reuse it with var(--color-putty).
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.