Color #BC438E Color / Colour Code #BC438E
This page shows the hex color code for color #bc438e (#BC438E). The colour is a pink tone with 47% saturation and 50% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BC438E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BC438E paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 293, 323, and 353 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 323, 83, and 203 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BC438E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 323 and saturation at 47%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 323 to 8 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 323 with its complement at 143 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 #BC438E
Lightness variations at hue 323 and 47% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BC438E
Design Use Cases for #BC438E
Balanced UI Color
At 47% saturation, #BC438E strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 50% lightness, #BC438E has a softer, more approachable quality. It works well for hover states, subtle highlights, progress indicators, and secondary UI elements. This lightness range is particularly effective for tag backgrounds and status indicators.
Playfulness & Compassion
#BC438E is in the pink range (hue 323). Pink ranges from energetic to gentle depending on saturation and lightness. Use it for beauty and cosmetics branding, social app interfaces, Valentine's themes, and youth-oriented design. Desaturated pinks work well as soft background tints.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #BC438E (hue 323) to its complement at hue 143. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 353. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bc438e, #44bb72);
CSS Code for #BC438E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BC438E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BC438E across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BC438E (#BC438E)
#BC438E is a pink color (colour) with RGB channel values of 188 red, 67 green, and 142 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 323 degrees with 47% saturation and 50% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BC438E is 112/255 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, 64% magenta, 24% yellow, and 26% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BC438E against white is 4.85:1 and against black is 4.33:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 35% lightness.
The complementary colour #44BB72 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BC438E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #AD44BB and #BB4452, 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 #BC438E
- 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 #BC438E?
- #BC438E is Color #BC438E, a pink color (colour) with RGB(188, 67, 142), HSL(323, 47%, 50%), and CMYK(0%, 64%, 24%, 26%). Its perceived brightness is 112/255.
- Is #BC438E accessible for text?
- Against white, #BC438E has a contrast ratio of 4.85:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.33:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BC438E?
- The complementary colour is #44BB72 (hue 143). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #AD44BB and #BB4452. The triadic palette adds #8DBB44 and #448DBB for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BC438E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bc438e; or rgb(188, 67, 142); or hsl(323, 47%, 50%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 323 47% 50%; 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.