#3B3A3ADead Pixel (#3B3A3A) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 17°, lightness 0.35 and chroma 0.001. In practice it behaves as a grounding tone — suited to text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces.
| HEX | #3B3A3A |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(59, 58, 58) |
| HSL | hsl(0, 1%, 23%) |
| HSV | hsv(0, 2%, 23%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 2%, 2%, 77%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(24.5 0.4 0.2) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.349 0.001 17) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Dead Pixel is virtually unchanged; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.9), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#3e3836 — ΔE 0.9, is virtually unchanged#3d3a39 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchanged#3b3a3a — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#3b3a3b — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Dead Pixel 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 11.34:1 and against black 1.85:1, 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.
#a8a7a7 · #848383 · #5f5e5e · #3b3a3a · #201f1f · #050404
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.
#76513d · #6a3c32 · #3b3a3a · #461a29 · #310e23 · #1c041b
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.
#bfaa92 · #b18182 · #8e693f · #63523f · #3b3a3a · #3a1216
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.
#88d4d5 · #8c6f6f · #645353 · #3b3a3a · #301718 · #100404
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eaf4f4 · #c3b6b6 · #7f8686 · #5c4f4f · #3b3a3a · #1d2626
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.
#f2f1f1 · #cbcaca · #a2a1a1 · #3b3a3a · #0e0d0d · #e54e60
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#f2f1f1 · #cbcaca · #a2a1a1 · #3b3a3a · #0e0d0d · #dbc54e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e1f7f7 · #8cc6c7 · #469294 · #1c5d5f · #3b3a3a · #341c1d
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e1f7f7 · #95c6b2 · #4f8da7 · #2b5e4b · #3b3a3a · #0d2732
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ebf6e7 · #a8c39d · #6786b1 · #3b5375 · #3b3a3a · #1b2816
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#f3f3e2 · #bdbd90 · #469294 · #504d74 · #3b3a3a · #08292a
#5c5b5b · #7c7c7c · #9d9d9d · #bebdbd · #dedede
#313030 · #272727 · #1e1d1d · #141313 · #0a0a0a
As a deep tone it works for grounding elements — text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces — rather than open fields.