← Shades of brown

≈ Old Study

#4B1801 is closest to Old Study in our library. Old Study (#4B1801) is a dark, moderately saturated brown with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 19° and a lightness of 29%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

#4B1801≈ Old Study
Conversion

What Old Study looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Old Study (#4B1801) is a dark, moderately saturated brown with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 19° and a lightness of 29%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

Psychology

Brown is earthy, dependable and warm. It feels natural and unpretentious, and pairs easily with cream, green and terracotta. As a dark shade, Old Study feels weighty and serious.

Meaning

Brown stands for soil, wood, coffee and leather: comfort, craft and reliability.

Why use this color

Old Study 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
  • Coffee, food and craft goods
  • Interiors and furniture
  • Outdoor and heritage brands
  • Warm neutrals for text and borders
History

Earth pigments such as umber and sienna, named after Umbria and Siena, are among the oldest in use. Brown is also one of the oldest color words in English.

Accessibility

White text on Old Study has a contrast ratio of 14.68:1 (AAA); black text has 1.43:1 (fails). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Red and green are the pair most often confused in color blindness, so never use this color alone to mean success or error: add an icon or label.

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#FDF5F1100#F8E7E0200#F2D3C7300#E3B5A3400#CB927C500#B1755D600#965F49700#7A4A37800#5D3728900#4B1801950#29140C
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#4B1801
Typical visionAs most people see it
#272100
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#332D00
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#540A14
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#282828
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.
14.68:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
1.43:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Open the contrast checker
#4B1801 Color — closest to Old Study (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly