Color #494241 Color / Colour Code #494241
This page shows the hex color code for color #494241 (#494241). The colour is a red tone with 6% saturation and 27% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #494241 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#494241 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 338, 8, and 38 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 8, 128, and 248 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #494241
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 8 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 8 to 53 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 8 with its complement at 188 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 #494241
Lightness variations at hue 8 and 6% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #494241
Design Use Cases for #494241
Neutral Foundation Color
#494241 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.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#494241 at 27% lightness is dark enough for readable body text on light backgrounds while retaining its red character. Use for headings, emphasized text, or deep accent borders. It provides contrast without the harshness of pure black.
Urgency & Energy Signaling
#494241 falls in the red spectrum (hue 8). Red triggers urgency and excitement, making it effective for sale badges, countdown timers, error messages, and "limited time" labels. In data visualization, use it to flag negative values or critical thresholds.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #494241 (hue 8) to its complement at hue 188. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 38. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #494241, #414849);
CSS Code for #494241
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #494241 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #494241 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #494241 (#494241)
#494241 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 73 red, 66 green, and 65 blue. The red channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 8 degrees with 6% saturation and 27% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #494241 is 68/255 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 0% cyan, 10% magenta, 11% yellow, and 71% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #494241 against white is 9.82:1 and against black is 2.14:1. 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 #414849 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #494241. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #494144 and #494641, 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 #494241
- 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 #494241?
- #494241 is Color #494241, a red color (colour) with RGB(73, 66, 65), HSL(8, 6%, 27%), and CMYK(0%, 10%, 11%, 71%). Its perceived brightness is 68/255.
- Is #494241 accessible for text?
- Against white, #494241 has a contrast ratio of 9.82:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.14:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #494241?
- The complementary colour is #414849 (hue 188). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #494144 and #494641. The triadic palette adds #414942 and #424149 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #494241 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #494241; or rgb(73, 66, 65); or hsl(8, 6%, 27%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 8 6% 27%; 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.