# #252c2a

A color — muted, dark, luxury, bold. Deterministic analysis from BrandSweets (no inference).

## Values

- Hex: `#252c2a`
- RGB: rgb(37, 44, 42)
- HSL: hsl(163, 9%, 16%)
- OKLCH: oklch(0.286 0.01 176.5)
- Relative luminance: 0.0236
- Nearest named color: Bitter Liquorice (#262926, Δ 1.053) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/bitter-liquorice
- Moods: muted, dark, luxury, bold
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/colors/252c2a

## Tints & shades

- Tints (toward white): #384340, #4a5955, #5f726d, #728882, #879b96, #9eaea9, #b4c0bd, #cdd5d3, #e3e8e6, #f9fafa
- Shades (toward black): #232a28, #202725, #1c2120, #1a1f1d, #171c1a, #151918, #131615, #0e1110, #0c0e0d, #090b0b

## Harmonies

- Complementary: #2c2527
- Analogous: #252c27, #252b2c
- Triadic: #2a252c, #2c2a25
- Split-complementary: #2c252b, #2c2725
- Tetradic: #27252c, #2c2527, #2b2c25

## Colors that go with #252c2a

Named partners (harmony on the OKLCH wheel, co-occurrence in curated palettes and brand systems, and the neutrals that carry it), best first:

- **Amber** #ffbf00 [pool] — Amber is paired with #252c2a in 18 real palettes, including McDonald's's brand system and Beach Hut, as the lead colour. Seen in: McDonald's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com), Beach Hut (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/light#beach-hut), Wikipedia (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/wikipedia-org), Google (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/google-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/amber
- **Blue** #0000ff [pool] — 23 real palettes, including Readymag's brand system and Headspace's brand system put Blue beside #252c2a, as the supporting colour. Seen in: Readymag (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/readymag-com), Headspace (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/headspace-com), Minecraft (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/minecraft-net), Rolex (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/rolex-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/blue
- **Blue Violet** #8a2be2 [pool] — Blue Violet is paired with #252c2a in 6 real palettes, including ClickUp's brand system and Yahoo's brand system, as the lead colour. Seen in: ClickUp (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/clickup-com), Yahoo (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/yahoo-com), Prepare your taste buds... (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/grubhub-com), Klarna US (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/klarna-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/blueviolet
- **Blush Pink** #e8b4b8 [pool] — 7 real palettes, including Rain Garden and Graphite Mono put Blush Pink beside #252c2a, as the accent. Seen in: Rain Garden (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#rain-garden), Graphite Mono (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/neutral#graphite-mono), Blush (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/light#blush), Garden Wedding (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/light#garden-wedding). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/blush-pink
- **Brown** #a52a2a [pool] — 4 real palettes, including Typewriter and Woodsmoke put Brown beside #252c2a, as the accent. Seen in: Typewriter (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/editorial#typewriter), Woodsmoke (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/dark#woodsmoke), State Farm (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/statefarm-com), Garnet (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#garnet). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brown
- **Burlywood** #deb887 [pool] — Burlywood is paired with #252c2a in 5 real palettes, including Chalkboard and Polaroid, as the lead colour. Seen in: Chalkboard (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/dark#chalkboard), Polaroid (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/light#polaroid), Kiln (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/dark#kiln), Coastal (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#coastal). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/burlywood
- **Cadet Blue** #5f9ea0 [pool] — Designers have shipped Cadet Blue with #252c2a: 10 real palettes, including Clean Beauty and Dusk, as the lead colour. Seen in: Clean Beauty (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/minimal#clean-beauty), Dusk (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#dusk), Coastal (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#coastal), Paper & Pine (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/minimal#paper-and-pine). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/cadetblue
- **White Smoke** #f5f5f5 [role] — White Smoke is the near-white surface #252c2a was made for — maximum legibility with no colour cast to argue with. — https://brandsweets.com/colors/whitesmoke

## Contrast (WCAG 2.x, as text)

- On white (#ffffff): 14.26:1 — AA pass, AA-large pass, AAA pass
- On black (#000000): 1.47:1 — AA fail, AA-large fail, AAA fail. Fix: AA: text → #667a75 (4.61:1); AA: background → #919191 (4.53:1); AAA: text → #879b96 (7.16:1); AAA: background → #b8b8b8 (7.19:1)

## Brands using this color

- **Squarespace** — primary #2a2a2a (Δ 1.048) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/squarespace-com
- **McDonald's** — text #292929 (Δ 1.145) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com
- **Astro** — text #2c2c2c (Δ 1.29) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/astro-build
- **Gillette** — primary #2b2929 (Δ 1.348) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/gillette-com
- **Gillette** — text #2b2929 (Δ 1.348) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/gillette-com
- **Readymag** — text #282828 (Δ 1.363) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/readymag-com
- **YouTube** — secondary #282828 (Δ 1.363) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/youtube-com
- **Loom** — text #292a2e (Δ 1.366) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/loom-com
- **Superhuman** — text #292827 (Δ 1.399) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/superhuman-com
- **Headspace** — text #2d2c2b (Δ 1.406) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/headspace-com
- **Vodafone** — text #25282b (Δ 1.497) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/vodafone-com
- **Fenty Beauty** — primary #2d2929 (Δ 1.611) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/fentybeauty-com
- **Fenty Beauty** — text #2d2929 (Δ 1.611) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/fentybeauty-com
- **Rotten Tomatoes** — primary #2a2c32 (Δ 1.784) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/rottentomatoes-com
- **American Eagle** — primary #24272a (Δ 1.812) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/ae-com
- **American Eagle** — text #24272a (Δ 1.812) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/ae-com
- **Chevrolet** — primary #262626 (Δ 1.993) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/chevrolet-com
- **Chevrolet** — text #262626 (Δ 1.993) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/chevrolet-com
- **Cloudflare** — text #262626 (Δ 1.993) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/cloudflare
- **Obsidian** — text #262626 (Δ 1.993) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/obsidian-md
- **Svelte** — text #262626 (Δ 1.993) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/svelte-dev

## Curated palettes containing it

- **Chalkboard** (dark, muted, warm) — #e8c170, #a8b5a0, #f28e6b, #1f2a24, #f1ede4 — Slate green with chalk cream and a coral — nostalgic without being twee. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/e8c170-a8b5a0-f28e6b-1f2a24-f1ede4 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/dark
- **Homestead** (warm, muted, friendly) — #7b5e3b, #9aa27a, #c96f3a, #f9f5ee, #2f2a24 — Timber and olive for homes that photograph in golden hour; nothing here competes with a good listing photo. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/7b5e3b-9aa27a-c96f3a-f9f5ee-2f2a24 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm
- **Clean Beauty** (minimal, muted, clean) — #7f8f70, #bdb5a6, #b5654d, #f8f6f2, #2e2e2a — Sage and clay on unbleached white — the nothing-to-hide palette for ingredient-led skincare. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/7f8f70-bdb5a6-b5654d-f8f6f2-2e2e2a — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/minimal
- **Olive Grove** (muted, warm, elegant) — #6b6b2e, #a8a670, #a1421f, #f6f3ea, #2c2a22 — Olive and straw with a rust accent — Mediterranean and unhurried; good for food, wine and hospitality. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/6b6b2e-a8a670-a1421f-f6f3ea-2c2a22 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/muted
- **Mushroom** (earthy, neutral, muted, minimal) — #8b7b6b, #c4b8a8, #6a7f5a, #f7f4ef, #2f2a25 — Taupe, oat and a sage accent — the quiet earth palette: almost neutral, with just enough colour to feel alive. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/8b7b6b-c4b8a8-6a7f5a-f7f4ef-2f2a25 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/earthy
- **Typewriter** (vintage, monochrome, editorial, minimal) — #2b2b2b, #8a8480, #a33a2f, #f4efe6 — Ink-black and ribbon-red on manila — the correspondence palette; all the vintage comes from the paper colour. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/2b2b2b-8a8480-a33a2f-f4efe6 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/vintage
- **Greige** (neutral, muted, elegant, calm) — #7d746b, #b7aea3, #9c8f6a, #f6f3ee, #2b2723 — Grey-beige with a hint of olive — the interior-design neutral; the olive accent is the only thing that isn't a shade of nothing. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/7d746b-b7aea3-9c8f6a-f6f3ee-2b2723 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/neutral

## Fonts for this mood

- luxury: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/luxury
- bold: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/bold

## Palette tool

Open this color locked as the lead with four explored companions: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/252c2a-a2beb9-d459b7-1f2b2d-e9f1eb?lock=0&style=vibrant
(Humans lock/regenerate in the tool; the URL is the state — read `lock=` back to see what they kept.)

## Connect an agent

Point any MCP client at the BrandSweets colors endpoint for the same engine:

- Endpoint: https://mcp.brandsweets.com/colors/mcp
- Tools: `analyze_color` (e.g. `analyze_color({ color: "#252c2a" })`), `check_contrast` (with fixes), `generate_palette` (explore around locks), `suggest_palette` (mood/industry → curated-first), `list_palettes`.