Steam `#DDDDDD`

Steam (#DDDDDD) is a near-white neutral with an OKLCH hue of 90°, lightness 0.9 and chroma 0. In practice it behaves as a background color — quiet over large surfaces.

Color values

HEX	`#DDDDDD`
RGB	`rgb(221, 221, 221)`
HSL	`hsl(0, 0%, 87%)`
HSV	`hsv(0, 0%, 87%)`
CMYK	`cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 13%)`
CIE Lab	`lab(88.1 0 0)`
OKLCH	`oklch(0.898 0.000 90)`

How Steam behaves under real light

Under warm 2700K interior light Steam 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 ≈ 2.2), so it is a lighting-stable choice.

Warm interior (2700K incandescent / warm LED): → #e6d7cf — ΔE 2.2, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity
Neutral LED (4000K task and retail lighting): → #e5ded8 — ΔE 1.3, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change
Daylight (6500K standard daylight (reference)): → #dddddd — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged
Blue-sky shade (cool daylight (~10000K proxy)): → #dddee0 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchanged

Test Steam in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.

Contrast & accessibility

Against white it measures 1.36:1 and against black 15.46:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.

Colors that go with Steam

Tonal

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.

#f2f2f2 · #dddddd · #a2a2a2 · #7c7c7c · #595959 · #383838

Analogous

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.

#dddddd · #e6c396 · #d9ac8c · #c89784 · #b4837e · #9f7177

Shifted

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.

#dddddd · #b0c3ad · #ad9c70 · #668b61 · #706139 · #3a4d38

Contrast

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.

#dddddd · #bfb9aa · #a1977b · #495784 · #413923 · #231e10

Quiet Support

The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.

#dddddd · #bdc0c7 · #8a867c · #4f5155 · #242117 · #010102

Bright Accent

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.

#dddddd · #9c9c9c · #3f3f3f · #222222 · #030303 · #e7c04d

Complementary

The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.

#dddddd · #bac0cf · #7885ab · #414e7a · #151e3f · #0b0500

Split-complementary

The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.

#dddddd · #bac0cf · #658ca7 · #574774 · #00243a · #020006

Triadic

Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.

#dddddd · #b0c4c8 · #59919a · #684165 · #31142f · #000305

Tetradic

Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.

#dddddd · #b1c5c0 · #5d9388 · #414e7a · #381120 · #000008

Tints, shades & muted variants

Tints

#e3e3e3 · #e8e8e8 · #eeeeee · #f4f4f4 · #f9f9f9

Shades

#b8b8b8 · #939393 · #6f6f6f · #4a4a4a · #252525

Using Steam

Its high lightness and low chroma make it a natural background or large-surface color.