≈ Malt
#DBCDAF is closest to Malt in our library. Malt (#DBCDAF) is a very light, muted gray with a warm-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 41° and a lightness of 85%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.
About this color
What Malt looks like, feels like and where it works.
Description
Malt (#DBCDAF) is a very light, muted gray with a warm-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 41° and a lightness of 85%. 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 light shade, Malt feels airy and gentle.
Meaning
Gray suggests balance, restraint and professionalism, and sometimes dullness if nothing else adds life.
Why use this color
Malt is an easy supporting color. Dark text is easy to read on it, so it works as a surface, highlight or card 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 Malt has a contrast ratio of 1.57:1 (fails); black text has 13.36:1 (AAA). 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 Malt
Tailwind-style scale
Color harmonies of Malt
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.