About Bistre
Bistre is the hex color #3D2B1F, which translates to rgb(61, 43, 31) in RGB and hsl(24, 33%, 18%) in HSL. On the color wheel it sits at 24 degrees, with a saturation of 33 percent and a lightness of 18 percent. That is deep enough that Bistre reads almost as an ink: it carries detail poorly but anchors a layout well.
How Bistre compares
The closest standard CSS keyword is black (#000000), a CIE76 distance of 23.2 away in CIELAB. That is a visible difference, so the keyword is not a substitute here. In the Tailwind CSS 4.3.1 palette the nearest token is olive-800 (#2B2B22), at a distance of 10.1. Inside this library the closest neighbour is Taupe at 8.2. Sorted by lightness, Bistre is number 1 of the 27 brown colors here.
Text on Bistre
2 of the five common text colors below clear WCAG AA for normal text on Bistre, led by White at 13.43:1. The ratios are computed with the WCAG relative luminance formula, the same one the contrast checker uses, which opens with Bistre already loaded as the background.
| Text color | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White #FFFFFF | 13.43:1 | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Ink black #0F0F12 | 1.42:1 | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Mid grey #6B7280 | 2.78:1 | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Dark grey #374151 | 1.30:1 | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Light grey #E5E7EB | 10.85:1 | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Building a palette around Bistre
The pairings above give you three classic starting points. The complementary color sits opposite on the wheel and works well as an accent that draws the eye. The analogous colors sit right beside Bistre for calmer, harmonious combinations. The triadic pair spaces three hues evenly for a balanced, energetic palette. Open any swatch to explore it as its own color, or open the palette generator with Bistre locked and let it fill in the rest.
Full values for Bistre
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #3D2B1F |
| RGB | rgb(61, 43, 31) |
| HSL | hsl(24, 33%, 18%) |
| HSV | hsv(24, 49%, 24%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 30%, 49%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(30.68% 0.0337 54.78) |
| CIELAB | lab(19.30 6.47 11.08) |
Frequently asked questions
What is the RGB value of Bistre?
Bistre (#3D2B1F) is rgb(61, 43, 31): 61 red, 43 green and 31 blue on the 0 to 255 scale. Red leads at 61, green follows at 43 and blue trails at 31, which puts the hue at 24 degrees. In HSL the same color is hsl(24, 33%, 18%).
What colour is #3D2B1F?
#3D2B1F is Bistre, a very dark brown colour with a hue of 24 degrees, 33% saturation and 18% lightness. For print the CMYK breakdown is 0% cyan, 30% magenta, 49% yellow and 76% black. Its nearest neighbour in this library is Taupe, 8.2 away in CIELAB, a difference you can see.
Is Bistre a CSS color name?
No. Bistre is not one of the 148 CSS named colors, so write it as #3D2B1F. The nearest keyword is black (#000000), a CIE76 distance of 23.2: far enough that the keyword reads as a different color.
What colors go with Bistre?
Opposite Bistre on the color wheel sits the complementary #1F313D, the boldest accent by hue. For a calmer scheme use the analogous neighbours #3D1F22 and #3D3A1F; for a balanced three-color scheme use the triadic pair #1F3D2B and #2B1F3D. Of these, #3D3A1F has the most contrast against Bistre, at 1.17:1, so pair it by hue, not for legibility.
What text color is readable on Bistre?
White (#FFFFFF) is the most readable on Bistre, at 13.43:1, which also clears WCAG AAA (7:1). 2 of the 5 common text colors tested pass AA for normal text.
Use Bistre in a tool
Nearby colors
Last updated by FusionStudios. Every value on this page is computed by the same functions the tools use. How this is calculated.