Color #C38146 Color / Colour Code #C38146
This page shows the hex color code for color #c38146 (#C38146). The colour is a orange tone with 51% saturation and 52% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #C38146 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#C38146 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 358, 28, and 58 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 28, 148, and 268 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #C38146
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 28 and saturation at 51%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 28 to 73 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 28 with its complement at 208 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 #C38146
Lightness variations at hue 28 and 51% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #C38146
Design Use Cases for #C38146
Balanced UI Color
At 51% saturation, #C38146 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 52% lightness, #C38146 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.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#C38146 sits in the orange range (hue 28). 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 #C38146 (hue 28) to its complement at hue 208. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 58. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #c38146, #4689c3);
CSS Code for #C38146
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #C38146 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #C38146 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #C38146 (#C38146)
#C38146 is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 195 red, 129 green, and 70 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 28 degrees with 51% saturation and 52% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #C38146 is 142/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This is a medium-brightness color that can work with either dark or light text depending on font weight and size. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 34% magenta, 64% yellow, and 24% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #C38146 against white is 3.21:1 and against black is 6.55:1. This only passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. For normal body text on white, darken the color or use it on a dark background where it achieves 6.55:1.
The complementary colour #4689C3 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #C38146. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #C3464A and #C3BF46, 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 #C38146
- 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 #C38146?
- #C38146 is Color #C38146, a orange color (colour) with RGB(195, 129, 70), HSL(28, 51%, 52%), and CMYK(0%, 34%, 64%, 24%). Its perceived brightness is 142/255.
- Is #C38146 accessible for text?
- Against white, #C38146 has a contrast ratio of 3.21:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.55:1 (passes AA). It passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #C38146?
- The complementary colour is #4689C3 (hue 208). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #C3464A and #C3BF46. The triadic palette adds #46C380 and #8046C3 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #C38146 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #c38146; or rgb(195, 129, 70); or hsl(28, 51%, 52%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 28 51% 52%; 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.