Brown color: code #8B4513

Brown

#8B4513

Color codes

  • HEX#8B4513
  • RGBrgb(139, 69, 19)
  • HSLhsl(25, 76%, 31%)
  • HSVhsv(25, 86%, 55%)
  • CMYKcmyk(0%, 50%, 86%, 45%)
  • LABlab(37.5% 26.4 41)
  • OKLCHoklch(47.1% 0.112 50.9)

About the color Brown

Brown has the HEX code #8B4513, which corresponds to rgb(139, 69, 19) in the RGB model. On the color wheel its hue sits at 25°, with 76% saturation and 31% lightness (hsl(25, 76%, 31%)).

Because of its hue it reads as a warm color: it tends to feel energetic and close, and it visually “advances” in a composition.

As a background it calls for light text: white reaches a 7.09:1 contrast ratio on it, versus 2.95:1 for black.

For print, the approximate conversion is cmyk(0%, 50%, 86%, 45%). Always confirm with your printer’s color profile, because the result depends on paper and ink.

Lighter tints

Darker shades

Color combinations with Brown

Complementary

#8B4513 · #13598B

Analogous

#8B131D · #8B4513 · #8B8113

Triadic

#8B4513 · #138B45 · #45138B

Tetradic

#8B4513 · #1D8B13 · #13598B · #81138B

Split-complementary

#8B4513 · #138B81 · #131D8B

Monochromatic

#1B0D04 · #5E2F0D · #8B4513 · #CE661C · #E78F50

Brown with white and black text

White text Aa Bb Cc 123
7.09:1 · AAA
Black text Aa Bb Cc 123
2.95:1 · fails WCAG

Test other pairs in the contrast checker

What brown communicates

Brown is the color of soil, wood, leather and coffee, so it tends to read as stable, natural and unpretentious. That is why you see it so often in coffee shops, bakeries, outdoor gear and anything that wants to feel handmade. These associations depend on culture and context, though: in one setting brown feels warm and grounded, in another it looks dull or dated. The color psychology guide covers how much of this is learned rather than universal.

“Brown” is also a range, not a single point. The reference HEX here, #8B4513, leans reddish (a 25° hue), close to saddle leather. A cooler brown that drifts toward gray sends a very different message.

Where brown works well

Colors that go with brown

From safe to bold:

Try your own variations in the color palette generator.

Practical tip: brown in print

In CMYK, #8B4513 comes out around 0% cyan, 50% magenta, 86% yellow and 45% black. Printed browns usually look darker and muddier than on screen because they lean so heavily on the black plate. Ask for a color proof and, if the shade is critical to a brand, consider a spot color. The RGB vs CMYK guide explains why.

As a text color, the reference brown has roughly 7:1 contrast against white, enough even for WCAG level AAA.

How to use it in CSS

:root {
  --color-brown: #8B4513;
  --color-brown-rgb: 139, 69, 19;
}

.elemento {
  background-color: var(--color-brown);
  color: #FFFFFF;
}

Similar colors

Use Brown in our tools