About Brainstem Grey
At #b5b5b5, Brainstem Grey is a mid-toned metallic with a muted presence, nearest to gold. In color psychology it reads as prestigious, celebratory, and rich — a neutral presence, and it has a polish suited to premium positioning.
For text on Brainstem Grey, black performs best at 10.24:1 — passing WCAG AAA. In a palette it suits accent roles.
Contrast Accessibility
With white
2.05:1
With black
10.24:1
Color Conversions
#b5b5b5
rgb(181, 181, 181)
hsl(0°, 0%, 71%)
oklch(0.773 0.000 89.9)
cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 2900%)
Tint & Shade Scale
A 10-step scale from light to dark, anchored to the base color at step 500. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Tone Scale
Color mixed with gray — reduces saturation without changing lightness. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Temperature
Hue shifted cooler and warmer in equal steps. Click any swatch to copy its hex.
Color Psychology
Adds: versatility, balance
A neutral, prestigious tone.
Best in small doses to avoid feeling gaudy.
Learn more about color psychology →Palette Narrative
A thoughtfully curated palette evoking celebratory, prestigious, rich. Well-suited for exclusive and luxury brand contexts. A focused selection that communicates intent clearly.
Inspired Palettes
Shades
Lightness variations keeping hue and chroma intact
Monochromatic
Single hue with varied lightness and chroma
Complementary
Opposite hues on the color wheel for maximum contrast
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues for vibrant balance
Analogous
Neighboring hues for natural, serene combinations
Split Complementary
Complement split into two flanking hues
Generic Gradient
Smooth lightness ramp from dark to light
Matching Gradient
Lightness ramp with a gentle hue drift
Skip Gradient
Alternating light and dark steps for rhythm
9 of 28 palettes from #b5b5b5
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