Color #BD552E Color / Colour Code #BD552E
This page shows the hex color code for color #bd552e (#BD552E). The colour is a orange tone with 61% saturation and 46% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BD552E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BD552E paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 346, 16, and 46 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 16, 136, and 256 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BD552E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 16 and saturation at 61%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 16 to 61 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 16 with its complement at 196 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 #BD552E
Lightness variations at hue 16 and 61% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BD552E
Design Use Cases for #BD552E
Vibrant Brand Color
#BD552E has a strong 61% saturation that makes it ideal for brand identity elements. Use it for logos, primary call-to-action buttons, hero section accents, and marketing materials where visual impact matters. This saturation level is eye-catching without being harsh.
Primary Interface Color
At 46% lightness, #BD552E 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.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#BD552E sits in the orange range (hue 16). Orange combines the energy of red with the warmth of yellow. It works naturally for progress indicators, pricing highlights, "new" badges, and friendly call-to-action buttons. Food and fitness brands frequently use this hue range.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #BD552E (hue 16) to its complement at hue 196. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 46. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bd552e, #2e97bd);
CSS Code for #BD552E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BD552E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BD552E across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BD552E (#BD552E)
#BD552E is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 189 red, 85 green, and 46 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 4.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 16 degrees with 61% saturation and 46% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BD552E 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, 55% magenta, 76% yellow, and 26% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BD552E against white is 4.66:1 and against black is 4.50:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 32% lightness.
The complementary colour #2E97BD creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BD552E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BD2E4F and #BD9B2E, 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 #BD552E
- 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 #BD552E?
- #BD552E is Color #BD552E, a orange color (colour) with RGB(189, 85, 46), HSL(16, 61%, 46%), and CMYK(0%, 55%, 76%, 26%). Its perceived brightness is 112/255.
- Is #BD552E accessible for text?
- Against white, #BD552E has a contrast ratio of 4.66:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.50:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BD552E?
- The complementary colour is #2E97BD (hue 196). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BD2E4F and #BD9B2E. The triadic palette adds #2EBD54 and #542EBD for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BD552E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bd552e; or rgb(189, 85, 46); or hsl(16, 61%, 46%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 16 61% 46%; 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.