#A49494 Hex Color
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Muted and ashy, #a49494 is a dusty red with soft gray undertones and low saturation. Its restrained warmth suggests passion and urgency without the force of vivid crimson, making it useful for romance, lifestyle branding, food packaging, or a small sports accent. Use it as a supporting tone rather than a dominant background, and pair it with black text for accessible body copy. The hex code is #a49494.
Questions about #a49494
What is #a49494 in RGB, HSL and CMYK?
In RGB, #a49494 is rgb(164, 148, 148), in HSL hsl(0, 8%, 61%) and in CMYK 0%, 10%, 10%, 36%.
What colors pair well with #a49494?
#a49494 pairs well with black text, warm neutral backgrounds, and muted sage, which balance its dusty red base without making the palette feel harsh in editorial or packaging layouts. Use a darker neutral for structure and reserve brighter red accents for calls to action.
Is #a49494 suitable for body text?
#a49494 works well as a light background for black body text, with about a 7.2:1 contrast ratio that exceeds WCAG AA’s 4.5:1 threshold for normal-sized text in standard web layouts. Avoid relying on white text, which has weaker contrast here.
Does #a49494 look warm or cool?
It reads gently warm because its red base remains visible beneath a near-neutral gray cast, while low saturation keeps it restrained rather than intense, making it suitable for soft editorial layouts and understated brand systems. Beside saturated colors, it may appear browner and less red.
Is #a49494 readable on white or black?
#a49494 has a 2.89:1 contrast ratio on white and 7.24:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it is too faint for text and on black it works for body text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.