#9698A3Dark Ages (#9698A3) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 278°, lightness 0.68 and chroma 0.016. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #9698A3 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(150, 152, 163) |
| HSL | hsl(231, 7%, 61%) |
| HSV | hsv(231, 8%, 64%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(8%, 7%, 0%, 36%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(63 1.5 -6) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.682 0.016 278) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Dark Ages 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 ≈ 1.7), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#9c9498 — ΔE 1.7, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#9c99a0 — ΔE 1.0, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#9698a3 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#9699a5 — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Dark Ages 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 2.87:1 and against black 7.32:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white 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.
#eff1fa · #c7c9d3 · #9698a3 · #7a7c86 · #575961 · #36373f
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.
#a0c3e2 · #94acd6 · #9698a3 · #887fad · #806b92 · #755876
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.
#c6b0c4 · #9698a3 · #7177a1 · #764e72 · #3b3f62 · #352233
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.
#d1c58d · #9698a3 · #747785 · #535770 · #36394f · #1c1e2c
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f3f2ea · #9698a3 · #7b7d87 · #4d4c47 · #1c1e27 · #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.
#f1f1f6 · #c7c8ce · #9698a3 · #212229 · #030307 · #dcc44e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#f6f2e1 · #9698a3 · #877e54 · #574c13 · #251e00 · #010007
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#f6f2e1 · #9698a3 · #967757 · #405324 · #2f1800 · #010200
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffede8 · #9698a3 · #9e7264 · #22583b · #002613 · #050000
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ffecef · #9698a3 · #9e6f77 · #574c13 · #002522 · #070400
#A5A7B1 · #B4B6BF · #C4C5CD · #D4D5DB · #E4E5EA
#7B7C86 · #60626B · #474950 · #303137 · #1A1B20
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.