French Bistre (#856D4D)
HEX, RGB, HSL, CMYK values + mood/style/use-case color tags. Use this page to keep your colors consistent across web and print.
Preview
Contrast vs white: 4.89:1 — vs black: 4.29:1
Color values
-
HEX
#856D4D -
RGB
rgb(133, 109, 77) -
HSL
hsl(34, 42%, 52%) -
CMYK
cmyk( 0, 18.05, 42.11, 47.84 )
Tags
Tip: tags are heuristic suggestions (helpful for browsing and inspiration).
Color Harmonies
Colors that pair well with #856D4D based on color theory relationships.
The color directly opposite on the color wheel — creates maximum contrast and vibrance.
#856D4D
Base
#4D6585
Colors adjacent on the wheel — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
#856D4D
Base
#85514D
#81854D
Three colors equally spaced 120° apart — bold, balanced, and visually rich.
#856D4D
Base
#4D856D
#6D4D85
Two colors flanking the complement — high contrast with less tension than full complementary.
#856D4D
Base
#4D8185
#514D85
Four colors at 90° intervals — rich variety, best when one color dominates.
#856D4D
Base
#4D8551
#4D6585
#854D81
Shades and tints of the same hue — cohesive, elegant, and easy to work with.
#856D4D
Base
#241E15
#554531
#6B583E
#9F825C
#AD9471
#C9B8A2
Darker shades and lighter tints of French Bistre, generated by adjusting lightness while keeping the same hue and saturation.
Shades (darker)
#100D09
#282017
#3F3424
#564732
#6E5A3F
#856D4D
Base
#A58964
#B9A487
#CDBEA9
#E2D8CC
#F6F3EF
Ready-to-use code snippets for #856D4D. Click the copy button to copy any snippet to your clipboard.
/* Background */
.element {
background-color: #856D4D;
}
/* Text */
.element {
color: #856D4D;
}
/* Border */
.element {
border: 1px solid #856D4D;
}
/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
background: linear-gradient(
to right,
#856D4D,
#527EB8
);
}
/* Radial gradient */
.element {
background: radial-gradient(
circle,
#856D4D,
#527EB8
);
}
// SCSS variable
$french-bistre: #856D4D;
// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$french-bistre-r: 133;
$french-bistre-g: 109;
$french-bistre-b: 77;
// Usage
.element {
background-color: $french-bistre;
color: rgba($french-bistre-r, $french-bistre-g, $french-bistre-b, 0.8);
}
How French Bistre appears to people with different types of color vision deficiency.
#856D4D
How the color appears with full color vision.
#75754C
Deuteranopia affects ~8% of males. Green cones are absent, making it difficult to distinguish red from green. The most common form of color blindness.
#70704D
Protanopia affects ~1% of males. Red cones are absent, causing reds to appear dark and indistinguishable from greens and browns.
#886A6A
Tritanopia is rare (~0.003%). Blue cones are absent, making blue and yellow difficult to distinguish. Blues may appear green, yellows appear pink.
#717171
Achromatopsia is complete color blindness. The world is seen entirely in shades of grey. Affects ~1 in 30,000 people.
How to use this color
- Copy HEX for CSS and design tools, or RGB/HSL for UI adjustments.
- Use CMYK when preparing print assets (posters, packaging, brochures).
- Check contrast before using it for text or important UI elements.