Russet
A grounded dark brown with rustic weight
Russet is a muted, dark brown that carries a distinct sense of weight and reliability. This dim, unsaturated shade provides excellent contrast for white text, making it a functional choice for readable body copy. Use #80461b as a grounding base for vintage branding or rustic interface designs. Because of its moody character, it balances particularly well when paired against cool, pale blues or muted sage greens.
About Russet
Dried clay in a cold barn
What does russet mean?
Russet often brings to mind autumn harvests, worn leather, ripe pears, and farm work clothes dyed with earth pigments. Its low lightness and muted saturation give it a heavy, settled feel, like a room that stays warm without much fuss.
Where you see russet
- roasted chestnuts
- leather saddles
- ripe bosc pears
- dry cracked soil
- pine bark
- burlap sacks
What it works for
Use it for grounded packaging, rustic branding, fall interiors, or text tones where plain black feels too harsh.
What colors go with russet?
Sage #9caf88The grayed green cools russet's warmth and echoes the two tones of a winter field.Cream #fffdd0A soft off-white lightens this dark brown without adding any competing color.Dusty Rose #b56f76The faded pink shares russet's warmth but lifts it with more lightness.Denim #2243b6A mid blue sits opposite russet on the wheel, so both read richer.Olive #808000Two muted, dark tones together make a quiet, earthy pairing.
Questions about Russet
What is the hex code for Russet?
Russet is #80461b. In RGB that is rgb(128, 70, 27), in HSL hsl(26, 65%, 30%) and in CMYK 0%, 45%, 79%, 50%.
Is Russet readable on white or black?
Russet has a 7.47:1 contrast ratio on white and 2.80:1 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.