Brown color · XKCD survey name

Tan Brown Color Code: #AB7E4C

Tan Brown (#AB7E4C) is a medium, soft orange shade: RGB 171, 126, 76, HSL 32°, 38%, 48%. Black text reads best on it (5.82:1 contrast).

Tan Brown color values

HEX #AB7E4C
RGB rgb(171, 126, 76)
HSL hsl(32, 38%, 48%)
HSV 32, 56%, 67%
HWB hwb(32 30% 33%)
CMYK 0%, 26%, 56%, 33%
Decimal 11238988
48%HSL lightness (medium)
38%HSL saturation (soft)
32°Hue angle (orange)
0.241Relative luminance

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

What is Tan Brown?

“Tan 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 32° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 38% saturation (soft) and 48% lightness (medium). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 59% of them and more saturated than 20% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.241, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.

Tan Brown counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 48% and its relative luminance is 0.241. Black text reads best on it (5.82:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Tan Brown

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Tan Brown
TextPreviewRatioAA normalAA largeAAA normalAAA large
White text Sample text 3.60:1 Limited Fail Pass Fail Fail
Black text Sample text 5.82:1 Good Pass Pass Fail Pass

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

Colors that go with Tan 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.

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.

#483520#483520
#7A5A36#7A5A36
#AB7E4C#AB7E4C
#C4A17A#C4A17A
#DAC4AC#DAC4AC

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 Tan 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.

Where to use Tan Brown

  • Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.82:1 contrast with black)
  • Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
  • Earthy, natural palettes
  • Packaging and craft-style layouts
  • Warm neutrals alongside cream and green
  • Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations

Use Tan Brown in CSS

:root {
  --color-tan-brown: #AB7E4C;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-tan-brown);
  background-color: #AB7E4C;
  border: 2px solid #AB7E4C;
}

Questions about Tan Brown

What is the HEX code for Tan Brown?

Tan Brown is #AB7E4C.

What is the RGB value of Tan Brown?

The RGB value of Tan Brown is 171, 126, 76: 171 red, 126 green and 76 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(171, 126, 76) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Tan Brown?

The HSL value of Tan Brown is 32°, 38%, 48% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(32, 38%, 48%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Tan Brown?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 26%, Y 56%, K 33%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Tan Brown a light or dark color?

Tan Brown counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 48% and its relative luminance is 0.241. Black text reads best on it (5.82:1 contrast).

How does Tan Brown look with white text?

White text on Tan Brown has a contrast ratio of 3.60:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

How does Tan Brown look with black text?

Black text on Tan Brown has a contrast ratio of 5.82:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Tan Brown?

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

Where can Tan Brown be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.82:1 contrast with black); large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough; earthy, natural palettes.

How do I use Tan Brown in CSS?

Use color: #AB7E4C; for text, background-color: #AB7E4C; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-tan-brown: #AB7E4C; and reuse it with var(--color-tan-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.