#B85440 Hex Color
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This brick red is a muted, earthy shade that leans into a grounded warmth. Because it carries a desaturated quality, the hex code #b85440 works best as a steady accent color rather than an overwhelming primary background. It pairs exceptionally well with charcoal gray or soft cream for a balanced, traditional look. White text remains perfectly legible against this tone, maintaining strong contrast for accessibility.
Questions about #b85440
What is #b85440 in RGB, HSL and CMYK?
In RGB, #b85440 is rgb(184, 84, 64), in HSL hsl(10, 48%, 49%) and in CMYK 0%, 54%, 65%, 28%. Browse more shades of brown with names and hex codes.
What colors pair best with #b85440?
Is #b85440 a warm or cool color?
#b85440 is a distinctly warm color, leaning heavily into terracotta and brick red undertones. This warmth provides a sense of grounded stability, making it less aggressive than a true primary red and better suited for background accents or text.
Is #b85440 readable on white or black?
#b85440 has a 4.79:1 contrast ratio on white and 4.38:1 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 works only for large text (24px, or 18.5px bold). Try other pairs in the contrast checker.