Dark Grayish Brown
Dark Grayish Brown is a muted red shade with RGB(62, 44, 40) and hex code #3E2C28, reading as dark at a glance.
HEX
#3E2C28
RGB
62, 44, 40
HSL
11°, 22%, 20%
CMYK
0%, 29%, 35%, 76%
LAB
20, 8, 6
Quick copy
Description
- •Dark Grayish Brown (#3E2C28) is a warm-toned red color defined by RGB values of 62, 44, 40 and HSL values of 11 degrees hue, 22% saturation, and 20% lightness. At 20% lightness it appears dark, and its muted character makes it well suited for backgrounds, text, or supporting UI elements. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #283A3E for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #3E3728 and #3E282F for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a red shade, Dark Grayish Brown tends to carry the general associations of that hue family: power, passion, danger, and urgency. Red is one of the first colors humans evolved to distinguish and is commonly linked with energy, urgency, and appetite.
Hue family
red
Saturation level
muted
Lightness level
dark
Temperature
warm
Because Dark Grayish Brown is muted and dark, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the red family, colors like Dark Grayish Brown are commonly associated with power, passion, danger, and urgency, though exact interpretation depends on cultural context and surrounding design elements.
Hue family
red
Common associations
power, passion, danger, and urgency
Temperature
warm
History
- 1Dark Grayish Brown is a named point in a modern digital color palette rather than a documented historical pigment, but the red family it belongs to has a long design history. Red is one of the first colors humans evolved to distinguish and is commonly linked with energy, urgency, and appetite.
Color info
Quick actions
Visual perception
- At HSL(11, 22%, 20%), Dark Grayish Brown has a relative luminance of about 0.03 on a 0-1 scale, which can make it harder to distinguish for people with red-green color blindness if used alongside similarly saturated greens or reds; pair it with a distinct lightness or add non-color cues such as icons or labels.
Technology specific
- Dark Grayish Brown (#3E2C28) renders consistently on standard sRGB displays; on wider-gamut or uncalibrated screens, expect minor shifts in perceived saturation. For print reproduction, convert from RGB to CMYK and proof physically, since muted colors like this can shift noticeably between screen and print.
Guidance
Use Dark Grayish Brown with white text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 13.2:1). It is versatile enough to use for larger surfaces such as backgrounds or cards.
Examples
web design
page backgrounds
branding
neutral brand background
UI design
card and panel backgrounds
body text or subtle fill
Purpose
Dark Grayish Brown works well for backgrounds, body text, or supporting UI surfaces where subtlety matters, given its muted and dark profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with white text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 13.2:1
palette flexibility
combines with #283A3E (complementary) and #283E2C/#2C283E (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as calm and neutral across most screens