#545663Blackwater (#545663) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 279°, lightness 0.46 and chroma 0.021. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #545663 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(84, 86, 99) |
| HSL | hsl(232, 8%, 36%) |
| HSV | hsv(232, 15%, 39%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(15%, 13%, 0%, 61%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(36.8 2.2 -7.8) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.456 0.021 279) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Blackwater 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 ≈ 1.2), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#58545c — ΔE 1.2, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#575661 — ΔE 0.6, shifts subtly: takes on a purple cast#545663 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#545664 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Blackwater 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 7.27:1 and against black 2.89:1, 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.
#a7a9b4 · #81838f · #545663 · #3c3d49 · #1d1e28 · #04050b
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.
#5d7d9a · #53688f · #545663 · #493f68 · #412d4f · #371d37
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.
#c0a7bc · #ac80a7 · #816c7e · #545663 · #35385d · #1d1f3f
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.
#d0c58d · #9195af · #737584 · #545663 · #35374f · #1b1d2b
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f3f2ea · #acaeb9 · #71716b · #545663 · #3c3e48 · #010100
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.
#f0f1f7 · #c7c8cf · #545663 · #20222b · #030308 · #dbc54e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#f5f2e1 · #b8b084 · #7c713b · #545663 · #473f12 · #010007
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#f5f2e1 · #c9a886 · #637949 · #545663 · #543815 · #000100
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffede8 · #d1a293 · #487e60 · #545663 · #1c4932 · #0d0100
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ffedef · #d2a0a7 · #7c713b · #545663 · #004945 · #040200
#6C6E7A · #868892 · #A0A2AB · #BBBDC5 · #D7D8DF
#464753 · #373943 · #2A2B34 · #1D1E26 · #111218
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.