#494D55Isolation (#494D55) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 264°, lightness 0.42 and chroma 0.014. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #494D55 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(73, 77, 85) |
| HSL | hsl(220, 8%, 31%) |
| HSV | hsv(220, 14%, 33%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(14%, 9%, 0%, 67%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(32.7 0.3 -5.3) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.420 0.014 264) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Isolation 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.
#4d4b4f — ΔE 1.1, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#4c4d53 — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged#494d55 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#494d56 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Isolation 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 8.48:1 and against black 2.48:1, 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.
#9b9ea5 · #757981 · #494d55 · #31353c · #14171d · #010204
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.
#4b758b · #3e6182 · #494d55 · #363861 · #31264a · #281633
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.
#af9db6 · #9878a5 · #726278 · #494d55 · #223253 · #0c1936
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.
#dbc18c · #818ca4 · #656c79 · #494d55 · #263045 · #101622
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f5f1ea · #a4a9b3 · #686661 · #494d55 · #31353f · #030200
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.
#f0f2f5 · #c7cace · #494d55 · #23262c · #04060a · #eebc4d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#f9f1e1 · #bba77e · #7a6230 · #494d55 · #443205 · #000008
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#f9f1e1 · #c8a086 · #656b36 · #494d55 · #4e2b12 · #010100
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffedeb · #cd9b97 · #4a714a · #494d55 · #1f3e1f · #050000
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ffecf3 · #c99aab · #7a6230 · #494d55 · #004033 · #0e0600
#63666E · #7E8188 · #9A9DA3 · #B7B9BE · #D5D7DB
#3D4047 · #30343A · #25282D · #1A1C21 · #0F1115
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.