Taupe Color Code: #B9A281, RGB, HSL & CMYK

Taupe color values

HEX #B9A281

RGB rgb(185, 162, 129)

HSL hsl(35, 29%, 62%)

HSV 35, 30%, 73%

HWB hwb(35 51% 27%)

CMYK 0%, 12%, 30%, 27%

Decimal 12165761

62%HSL lightness (medium-light)

29%HSL saturation (soft)

35°Hue angle (orange)

0.377Relative luminance

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

What is Taupe?

“Taupe” 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 62% lightness (medium-light). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 78% of them and more saturated than 6% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.377, 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.

Taupe counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 62% and its relative luminance is 0.377. Black text reads best on it (8.54:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Taupe

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Taupe
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	2.45:1 Poor	Fail	Fail	Fail	Fail
Black text	Sample text	8.54:1 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 Taupe

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.

≈ Gray Blue#8198B9

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.

≈ Rosy Brown#B98681 ≈ Dark Khaki#B4B981

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#81B9A2 ≈ Wisteria#A281B9

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#81B4B9 ≈ Dark Lavender#8681B9

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.

≈ Lichen#98B981 ≈ Gray Blue#8198B9 ≈ Wisteria#A281B9

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.

#6E5A3D#6E5A3D

#9C7F57#9C7F57

#B9A281#B9A281

#D3C4AF#D3C4AF

#ECE6DD#ECE6DD

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 Taupe

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.

Putty#BEAE8A Mushroom#BA9E88 Stone#ADA587 Dust#B2996E Pale Brown#B1916E Tan#D2B48C Dark Beige#AC9362 Fawn#CFAF7B

Where to use Taupe

Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (8.54:1 contrast with black)
Calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements
Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations
Earthy, natural palettes
Packaging and craft-style layouts
Warm neutrals alongside cream and green

Use Taupe in CSS

:root {
  --color-taupe: #B9A281;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-taupe);
  background-color: #B9A281;
  border: 2px solid #B9A281;
}

Questions about Taupe

What is the HEX code for Taupe?

Taupe is #B9A281.

What is the RGB value of Taupe?

The RGB value of Taupe is 185, 162, 129: 185 red, 162 green and 129 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(185, 162, 129) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Taupe?

The HSL value of Taupe is 35°, 29%, 62% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(35, 29%, 62%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Taupe?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 12%, Y 30%, K 27%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Taupe a light or dark color?

Taupe counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 62% and its relative luminance is 0.377. Black text reads best on it (8.54:1 contrast).

How does Taupe look with white text?

White text on Taupe has a contrast ratio of 2.45:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.

How does Taupe look with black text?

Black text on Taupe has a contrast ratio of 8.54:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Taupe?

Gray 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 Taupe be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (8.54:1 contrast with black); calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements; borders, wood-like textures and illustrations.

How do I use Taupe in CSS?

Use color: #B9A281; for text, background-color: #B9A281; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-taupe: #B9A281; and reuse it with var(--color-taupe).

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.

Taupe Color Code: #B9A281