← Shades of gray

≈ Cowboy

#3F3941 is closest to Cowboy in our library. Cowboy (#3F3941) is a dark, neutral gray with a cool-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 285° and a lightness of 35%. As a neutral it supports other colors rather than competing with them.

#3F3941≈ Cowboy
Conversion

What Cowboy looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Cowboy (#3F3941) is a dark, neutral gray with a cool-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 285° and a lightness of 35%. As a neutral it supports other colors rather than competing with them.

Psychology

Gray is neutral and composed. It recedes, which is why it is the workhorse of interfaces: borders, secondary text and surfaces that let accents stand out. As a dark shade, Cowboy feels weighty and serious.

Meaning

Gray suggests balance, restraint and professionalism, and sometimes dullness if nothing else adds life.

Why use this color

Cowboy is a flexible base. It carries white text well, so it works as a button, header or badge background. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.

Applications
  • UI borders, text and surfaces
  • Technology and architecture
  • Minimal, balanced layouts
  • Backdrops for accent colors
History

Gray is one of the oldest color words in English. Payne's gray is named after the eighteenth century watercolorist William Payne.

Accessibility

White text on Cowboy has a contrast ratio of 11.21:1 (AAA); black text has 1.87:1 (fails). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning: pair it with text, an icon or a pattern.

ShadesMixed with black: darker and richer.
TintsMixed with white: lighter and softer.
TonesMixed with gray: quieter and less saturated.
HuesThe same lightness and strength, turned around the wheel.
TemperaturesPushed cooler on the left, warmer on the right.
50#F7F6F8100#ECEAED200#DDD9DF300#C5BEC7400#A69EA9500#8B838E600#736B76700#5C555E800#3F3941900#332E34950#1C191D
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.

#3F3941
Typical visionAs most people see it
#383B41
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#393B41
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#3F3A3C
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#3B3B3B
AchromatopsiaNo color, only light and dark

These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.

White textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
11.21:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
1.87:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Open the contrast checker
#3F3941 Color — closest to Cowboy (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly