#393031 Hex Color
A moody, desaturated crimson approaching black
This dark, dusty shade feels like a desaturated crimson pushed to the brink of black. It carries a heavy, serious presence that works best as a moody background or a subtle accent. Since it has strong grey undertones, designers often use it to avoid the starkness of pure black. To learn what colors make black, look closer at the hex code #393031. White text creates excellent contrast here.
Questions about #393031
What is #393031 in RGB, HSL and CMYK?
In RGB, #393031 is rgb(57, 48, 49), in HSL hsl(353, 9%, 21%) and in CMYK 0%, 16%, 14%, 78%.
Why use #393031 instead of pure black?
Pure black can feel stark and overwhelming in digital layouts, whereas #393031 provides a softer, organic depth due to its subtle crimson undertones. It grounds a design without the visual fatigue that often comes from using absolute black text or backgrounds.
What colors pair best with #393031?
Is #393031 readable on white or black?
#393031 has a 12.79:1 contrast ratio on white and 1.64:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it works for body text and on black it is too faint for text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.