Brown

Also known as: Nutmeg Wood Finish, Bestial Brown, Beasty Brown, Philippine Bronze

Part of the brown family, Brown pairs a rich base with a warm and rustic presence — ideal for leather goods and autumn design. Match it with blue accents when the design calls for energy over calm. Accessibility-wise, it clears AA for text on white at 10.00:1.

Brown color codes

HEX
#653700
RGB
rgb(101, 55, 0)
RGBA
rgba(101, 55, 0, 1)
HSL
hsl(33, 100%, 20%)
HSV
hsv(33, 100%, 40%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 46%, 100%, 60%)
LAB
lab(28.5 18.3 38.7)
OKLCH
oklch(38.6% 0.089 61.8)

Color intelligence

sRGB safe

Displays accurately on every screen and translates well to print.

Temperature

CoolWarm

warm

Nearest standard colors

  • CSS: saddlebrown#8B4513 · ΔE 9.4
  • RAL 8008 — Olive brown#6F4F28 · ΔE 8.5 · approximate

RAL values are widely published approximations of the physical standard. For Pantone-adjacent workflows, match by eye against a physical fan deck — Pantone's values are proprietary and device-dependent, so we don't print lookups.

Where Brown works

  • Web & UI: Dark enough for body text and icons on white backgrounds — it passes WCAG AA as-is.
  • Interiors: Strong for a whole room, excellent in doses: an accent wall, cabinetry, or a statement chair.
  • Fashion: A wardrobe neutral: it anchors outfits and pairs with nearly any accent color.
  • Branding: Craft and heritage material — coffee, leather goods, and premium packaging live here.
  • Web & UI: A supporting-cast color for UI: chart fills, tags, empty-state illustrations — not text.
  • Fashion: Wears best as the statement piece — a top, scarf, or shoes — against neutral basics.

Copy as — every ecosystem

Tints, shades, and tones of Brown

Tints (lighter)

Shades (darker)

Tones (muted)

Color harmonies

Palettes built from Brown by rotating its hue in OKLCH space. Click any swatch to copy its hex code.

Complementary

Analogous

Triadic

Split-complementary

Tetradic

Monochromatic

Contrast & accessibility

Aa — on white

contrast 10.00:1

AA passAAA passAA large pass

Aa — on black

contrast 2.10:1

AA failAAA failAA large fail

Best text color on a Brown background: #ffffff

Palettes featuring Brown

Brown with its complement

Soft neighbors of Brown

Brown triad

Similar colors

Looking for maximum contrast instead? The complement of Brown is closest to Sea Paint.

Brown FAQs

What color is Brown?

Brown is a dark brown with the hex code #653700. In HSL terms it has a hue of 33°, 100% saturation, and 20% lightness.

What is the hex code for Brown?

The hex code for Brown is #653700. In RGB it's rgb(101, 55, 0), and in CMYK it's cmyk(0%, 46%, 100%, 60%).

What colors go well with Brown?

Brown pairs naturally with blue tones from its complementary harmony, and with cyan accents from its split-complementary palette. Its own tints and shades always work as a monochrome scheme.

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