#404C57Abyssal (#404C57) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 246°, lightness 0.41 and chroma 0.024. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #404C57 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(64, 76, 87) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 15%, 30%) |
| HSV | hsv(209, 26%, 34%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(26%, 13%, 0%, 66%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(31.7 -1.9 -8.1) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.410 0.024 246) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Abyssal shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.1), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#444a51 — ΔE 1.1, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#434c55 — ΔE 0.5, is virtually unchanged#404c57 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#404c58 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Abyssal in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.
Against white it measures 8.79:1 and against black 2.39:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid black text on this color entirely.
One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.
#939da6 · #6d7882 · #404c57 · #29343e · #0d161e · #000104
The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.
#417581 · #2e6279 · #404c57 · #263a5f · #24274b · #1f1635
The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.
#a49cb9 · #897aab · #686279 · #404c57 · #10334e · #001a31
One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.
#d8ae83 · #778c9f · #5f6b76 · #404c57 · #1c3041 · #0a151f
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f7f1eb · #a0a9b1 · #67625e · #404c57 · #2c343c · #020100
This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.
#edf3f8 · #c4cad0 · #404c57 · #1e262e · #01060c · #f3a347
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#fdefe2 · #c2a180 · #805a32 · #404c57 · #492b08 · #00040f
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#fdefe2 · #ca9b8e · #70632d · #404c57 · #4e261b · #080400
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffecef · #ca98a2 · #586b3a · #404c57 · #2b3911 · #060001
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#fcecf8 · #c19ab6 · #805a32 · #404c57 · #113c25 · #120500
#5B6670 · #77818A · #949DA5 · #B2B9C0 · #D1D7DC
#353F49 · #2A333C · #1F282F · #151C23 · #0B1217
Its moderate chroma lets it work in mid-size areas — upholstery, secondary UI surfaces, editorial blocks — without overwhelming neighbors. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.