Taupe color guide
Brown pulled toward grey until it stops reading as a colour at all. The definitive warm dark neutral.
- Best for
- Text and borders in warm design systems.
Accessibility
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 taupe
Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.
Taupe color harmonies
Taupe shades and tints
The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.
Taupe FAQ
What is the hex code for taupe?
Taupe is #483C32. In other formats that is rgb(72, 60, 50), hsl(27, 18%, 24%), and approximately cmyk(0%, 17%, 31%, 72%) for print.
What colors go with taupe?
Cream, Sage Green, Dusty Rose all pair well with taupe. Text and borders in warm design systems.
Is taupe accessible for text?
Yes — taupe text on white reaches 10.67:1, which passes WCAG AA for body text.
Should text on taupe be black or white?
Use white text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #483C32.