Color #485151 Color / Colour Code #485151
This page shows the hex color code for color #485151 (#485151). The colour is a cyan tone with 6% saturation and 30% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #485151 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#485151 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 150, 180, and 210 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 180, 300, and 60 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #485151
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 180 and saturation at 6%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 180 to 225 degrees create a warm, unified palette. This analogous scheme works for marketing materials, seasonal campaigns, and any design that needs visual warmth without clashing colors.
Combines the base color at hue 180 with its complement at 0 and two adjacent cool tones. This split-complementary approach provides strong visual contrast while remaining more balanced than a pure complementary scheme.
Five evenly spaced hues at 40% saturation and 80% lightness. Pastels are gentle on the eyes and work well for dashboards, onboarding screens, category tags, and any interface where multiple distinct colors are needed without visual aggression.
Shades & Tints of #485151
Lightness variations at hue 180 and 6% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #485151
Design Use Cases for #485151
Neutral Foundation Color
#485151 has almost no saturation (6%), making it an excellent neutral. Use it for page backgrounds, card surfaces, divider lines, and any element that should recede visually. Neutrals like this form the foundation of every professional design system.
Primary Interface Color
At 30% lightness, #485151 is in the mid-range, making it ideal for interactive elements like buttons, links, and selected states. This lightness level ensures good contrast against both light and dark adjacent elements in most layouts.
Clarity & Technology
#485151 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 180). Cyan evokes technology, clarity, and innovation. It works well for tech product interfaces, data visualization accents, loading indicators, and futuristic design themes. Cyan provides a modern alternative to traditional blues.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #485151 (hue 180) to its complement at hue 0. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 210. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #485151, #514848);
CSS Code for #485151
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #485151 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #485151 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #485151 (#485151)
#485151 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 72 red, 81 green, and 81 blue. The green channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 180 degrees with 6% saturation and 30% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #485151 is 78/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This appears dark to the human eye, so pair it with light text for adequate readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 11% cyan, 0% magenta, 0% yellow, and 68% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #485151 against white is 8.17:1 and against black is 2.57:1. This exceeds the AAA requirement (7:1) for normal text on white, making it excellent for body text and small UI labels on light backgrounds.
The complementary colour #514848 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #485151. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #48514D and #484D51, which sit 30 degrees on either side of the hue wheel. To build a complete design system, start with the monochromatic scale above for consistent shade variations, then add one complementary or triadic accent for interactive elements.
How to Explore Color #485151
- Enter your color value in HEX format.
- The tool converts it to RGB, HSL, CMYK format in real time.
- Copy the converted value to your clipboard.
What is HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK color conversion
Converting from HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK translates a color value between two different color models. Different color models are used in web design (HEX, RGB), print (CMYK), and color theory (HSL, HSV).
Related Tools & Colors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What color / colour is #485151?
- #485151 is Color #485151, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(72, 81, 81), HSL(180, 6%, 30%), and CMYK(11%, 0%, 0%, 68%). Its perceived brightness is 78/255.
- Is #485151 accessible for text?
- Against white, #485151 has a contrast ratio of 8.17:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.57:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #485151?
- The complementary colour is #514848 (hue 0). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #48514D and #484D51. The triadic palette adds #514851 and #515148 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #485151 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #485151; or rgb(72, 81, 81); or hsl(180, 6%, 30%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 180 6% 30%; then use it as hsl(var(--color-primary)).
- Is this color / colour explorer free?
- Yes, completely free with no signup required. All colour calculations run in your browser. You can explore any valid hex color code, not just the pre-generated palette.