Bone color guide

#E3DAC9
HEX
#E3DAC9
RGB
rgb(227, 218, 201)
HSL
hsl(39, 32%, 84%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 4%, 11%, 11%)

A warm off-white with visible grey. Reads as paper stock rather than a screen background.

Best for
Editorial layouts simulating print.

Accessibility

Bone text on whiteFail
Sample1.39:1
White text on boneFail
Sample1.39:1
Bone text on blackAAA
Sample15.14:1
Black text on boneAAA
Sample15.14:1

Ratios follow WCAG 2.1. AA needs 4.5:1 for body text, AAA needs 7:1; large text passes AA at 3:1.

Colors that go with bone

Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.

Bone color harmonies

Complementary
The opposite hue — highest contrast, best used sparingly.
#E3DAC9 #C9D2E3
Analogous
Neighbouring hues that sit together calmly.
#E3CDC9 #E3DAC9 #DFE3C9
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues — vivid but balanced.
#E3DAC9 #C9E3DA #DAC9E3
Split complementary
Softer than complementary, with the same tension.
#E3DAC9 #C9DFE3 #CDC9E3

Bone shades and tints

The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.

#F6F3EE#E5DCCD#D4C5AB#C2AE89#B19768#977E4E#76623D#54462B#322A1A#1B160E

Bone FAQ

What is the hex code for bone?

Bone is #E3DAC9. In other formats that is rgb(227, 218, 201), hsl(39, 32%, 84%), and approximately cmyk(0%, 4%, 11%, 11%) for print.

What colors go with bone?

Espresso, Charcoal, Rust all pair well with bone. Editorial layouts simulating print.

Is bone accessible for text?

Not on white: bone reaches only 1.39:1 there, below the 4.5:1 WCAG AA threshold. Use it as a background with black text on top, or reserve it for large display type.

Should text on bone be black or white?

Use black text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #E3DAC9.

More neutral colors