← Shades of brown

Mars

Mars (#AD6242) is a medium, moderately saturated brown with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 18° and a lightness of 58%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

#AD6242Mars
Conversion

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

Description

Mars (#AD6242) is a medium, moderately saturated brown with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 18° and a lightness of 58%. 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 mid-toned shade, Mars sits comfortably in the middle: present but not heavy.

Meaning

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

Why use this color

Mars 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 Mars has a contrast ratio of 4.56:1 (AA); black text has 4.60:1 (AA). 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#FFF4F0100#FCE6DD200#F8D1C2300#EBB29A400#D58D70500#BC6F4F600#AD6242700#82452B800#64331E900#4B2413950#2D1207
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#AD6242
Typical visionAs most people see it
#766C3F
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#887C41
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#BC545A
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#767676
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.
4.56:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAFail
Large textAAAAA
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
4.60:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAFail
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker