Close to Ash
#B9BCB5
#B9BCB5 is a light neutral gray, close to the color Ash. In RGB it’s made of 72.5% red, 73.7% green, and 71% blue. Its hue is 86°, with 5% saturation and 72% lightness, so it reads as a neutral color. Black text sits best on top of it.
Color codes
Tints, shades & tones
Tints add white, shades add black, tones add gray. Tap any one to open its page.
Tints
Shades
Tones
Color harmonies
Combinations from the color wheel, built around #B9BCB5.
Split complementary
The two neighbors of the complement: contrast that’s easier to balance.
Open in the palette creator →Tetradic
Two complementary pairs: rich, best with one color in charge.
Open in the palette creator →Contrast & readability
WCAG contrast ratios for text. 4.5:1 is the minimum for body text, 3:1 for large text.
White text on this color
1.92:1 FailBlack text on this color
10.92:1 AAAThis color as text on white
1.92:1 FailThis color as text on black
10.92:1 AAAHow it looks with color blindness
About 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women see color differently. Here’s #B9BCB5 as they’d see it.
#B9BCB5 in use
A headline in this color
Body text stays dark for reading; the color carries buttons, links, and accents.
On a dark background
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Brands with a similar color
Brand names identify the brands only; no affiliation. Test yourself in Brand Colors.
Questions about #B9BCB5
What color is #B9BCB5?
#B9BCB5 is a light neutral gray, close to the color Ash. In RGB it’s made of 72.5% red, 73.7% green, and 71% blue. Its hue is 86°, with 5% saturation and 72% lightness, so it reads as a neutral color. Black text sits best on top of it.
What is #B9BCB5 in RGB?
#B9BCB5 is rgb(185, 188, 181): 185 red, 188 green, and 181 blue on a 0–255 scale.
What is #B9BCB5 in CMYK?
Roughly cmyk(2, 0, 4, 26). Print results depend on paper and press, so proof it before a big print run.
What Pantone is closest to #B9BCB5?
PANTONE 428 C is the closest match in our list. Screen colors and ink never match perfectly; check a physical Pantone guide.
What color goes with #B9BCB5?
Its complement #BDBAC1 gives the strongest contrast. For something calmer, try its analogous neighbors, or its own tints and shades above.