≈ Creole
#42341E is closest to Creole in our library. Creole (#42341E) is a dark, muted gray with a warm-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 37° and a lightness of 33%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.
About this color
What Creole looks like, feels like and where it works.
Description
Creole (#42341E) is a dark, muted gray with a warm-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 37° and a lightness of 33%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.
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, Creole feels weighty and serious.
Meaning
Gray suggests balance, restraint and professionalism, and sometimes dullness if nothing else adds life.
Why use this color
Creole is an easy supporting color. 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 Creole has a contrast ratio of 12.05:1 (AAA); black text has 1.74:1 (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.
Variations of Creole
Tailwind-style scale
Color harmonies of Creole
Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.
Color blindness simulator
These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.