#CBC9C0Quill Grey (#CBC9C0) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 96°, lightness 0.83 and chroma 0.013. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #CBC9C0 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(203, 201, 192) |
| HSL | hsl(49, 10%, 77%) |
| HSV | hsv(49, 5%, 80%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 1%, 5%, 20%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(80.9 -0.9 4.7) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.835 0.013 96) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Quill Grey shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 2), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#d3c4b3 — ΔE 2.0, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity#d2cabc — ΔE 1.2, shifts subtly: takes on a yellow cast#cbc9c0 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#cbcac3 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Quill 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 1.66:1 and against black 12.66:1, 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.
#f4f2ea · #cbc9c0 · #a4a29a · #7e7d76 · #5b5953 · #393833
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.
#dce1b5 · #cbc9c0 · #ceb182 · #c19b77 · #b1866f · #9f7269
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.
#cbc9c0 · #9ab09c · #968b5e · #4e7955 · #5b5128 · #283d2b
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.
#f1eddc · #cbc9c0 · #ada789 · #8b856c · #525988 · #2e2a1b
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#cbc9c0 · #aaacb3 · #7b796f · #47484d · #201d14 · #010102
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.
#f3f2ee · #cbc9c0 · #a09f9a · #292823 · #080704 · #dec44d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#cbc9c0 · #a8abbb · #6f769c · #3e4470 · #16193a · #080400
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#cbc9c0 · #a8abbb · #5b7c9a · #533d68 · #001f39 · #020005
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#cbc9c0 · #9db0b6 · #4d828f · #623857 · #2f0f28 · #000407
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#cbc9c0 · #9db1ae · #4d847e · #3e4470 · #350d18 · #010008
#D2D0C8 · #D9D8D1 · #E0DFD9 · #E7E6E1 · #EEEEEA
#A6A49C · #828079 · #605E58 · #403E39 · #22211D
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.