#A6978AEarl Grey (#A6978A) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 63°, lightness 0.69 and chroma 0.026. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #A6978A |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(166, 151, 138) |
| HSL | hsl(28, 14%, 60%) |
| HSV | hsv(28, 17%, 65%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 9%, 17%, 35%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(63.4 3.3 8.9) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.686 0.026 63) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Earl Grey shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.5), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#ab9380 — ΔE 1.5, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast#ab9787 — ΔE 0.8, is virtually unchanged#a6978a — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#a6988c — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Earl Grey 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 2.83:1 and against black 7.42:1, 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.
#fcefe5 · #d4c6bb · #a6978a · #877a6e · #63574c · #40362d
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.
#cbc095 · #c3a87d · #a6978a · #ab7b63 · #98685f · #83575a
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.
#b8bda2 · #a6978a · #977454 · #5e6430 · #5a3c20 · #292d14
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.
#f4dbc4 · #c7baae · #a6978a · #517ea2 · #695544 · #46392e
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#ecf3f8 · #a6978a · #867d76 · #494d51 · #251d16 · #000102
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.
#f7f1eb · #d0c9c3 · #a6978a · #2f261e · #0d0601 · #f39d46
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e6f4ff · #a6978a · #6083a0 · #235072 · #002139 · #150600
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e6f4ff · #a6978a · #538995 · #3f4975 · #00242b · #010109
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e2f7f3 · #a6978a · #548b82 · #55426e · #251637 · #000201
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e7f7eb · #a6978a · #638a6e · #235072 · #30122b · #00040e
#B3A69A · #C1B5AB · #CFC5BC · #DDD4CD · #EBE4DF
#897B70 · #6D6157 · #52483F · #383028 · #211A13
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.