# #252c2d

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

## Values

- Hex: `#252c2d`
- RGB: rgb(37, 44, 45)
- HSL: hsl(188, 10%, 16%)
- OKLCH: oklch(0.287 0.01 207.1)
- Relative luminance: 0.0238
- Nearest named color: Cinder (#242a2e, Δ 0.821) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/cinder
- Moods: cool, muted, dark, luxury, bold
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/colors/252c2d

## Tints & shades

- Tints (toward white): #374243, #49585a, #5e7073, #708689, #86999c, #9dacaf, #b3bfc1, #cdd4d6, #e3e7e8, #f9fafa
- Shades (toward black): #22292a, #202627, #1c2122, #191e1f, #171b1c, #151919, #121616, #0e1011, #0b0e0e, #090b0b

## Harmonies

- Complementary: #2d2625
- Analogous: #252d2a, #25282d
- Triadic: #2d252c, #2c2d25
- Split-complementary: #2d2528, #2d2a25
- Tetradic: #2a252d, #2d2625, #282d25

## Colors that go with #252c2d

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 #252c2d 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 Headspace's brand system and Readymag's brand system put Blue beside #252c2d, as the accent. Seen in: Headspace (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/headspace-com), Readymag (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/readymag-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 #252c2d 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 #252c2d, 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 #252c2d, 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 #252c2d 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), Coastal (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#coastal), Kiln (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/dark#kiln). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/burlywood
- **Cadet Blue** #5f9ea0 [pool] — Designers have shipped Cadet Blue with #252c2d: 10 real palettes, including Clean Beauty and Coastal, as the lead colour. Seen in: Clean Beauty (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/minimal#clean-beauty), Coastal (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#coastal), Dusk (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#dusk), 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 #252c2d 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): 14.22:1 — AA pass, AA-large pass, AAA pass
- On black (#000000): 1.48:1 — AA fail, AA-large fail, AAA fail. Fix: AA: text → #65787b (4.53:1); AA: background → #919191 (4.51:1); AAA: text → #86999c (7.05:1); AAA: background → #b8b8b8 (7.17:1)

## Brands using this color

- **Loom** — text #292a2e (Δ 0.999) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/loom-com
- **Squarespace** — primary #2a2a2a (Δ 1.014) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/squarespace-com
- **McDonald's** — text #292929 (Δ 1.155) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com
- **Astro** — text #2c2c2c (Δ 1.185) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/astro-build
- **Rotten Tomatoes** — primary #2a2c32 (Δ 1.318) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/rottentomatoes-com
- **Gillette** — primary #2b2929 (Δ 1.34) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/gillette-com
- **Gillette** — text #2b2929 (Δ 1.34) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/gillette-com
- **Vodafone** — text #25282b (Δ 1.345) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/vodafone-com
- **Headspace** — text #2d2c2b (Δ 1.377) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/headspace-com
- **Readymag** — text #282828 (Δ 1.407) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/readymag-com
- **YouTube** — secondary #282828 (Δ 1.407) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/youtube-com
- **Superhuman** — text #292827 (Δ 1.503) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/superhuman-com
- **Fenty Beauty** — primary #2d2929 (Δ 1.59) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/fentybeauty-com
- **Fenty Beauty** — text #2d2929 (Δ 1.59) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/fentybeauty-com
- **American Eagle** — primary #24272a (Δ 1.716) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/ae-com
- **American Eagle** — text #24272a (Δ 1.716) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/ae-com

## 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
- **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
- **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
- **Still Water** (calm, cool, muted, light) — #5b8a9a, #a9c4cc, #e3d5b8, #f5f8f9, #1e2f36 — Dusty teal and mist with a sand accent — low chroma, low contrast between colours, high contrast for text: the recipe for calm. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/5b8a9a-a9c4cc-e3d5b8-f5f8f9-1e2f36 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/calm

## 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/252c2d-a2b7be-df4e81-1f252d-e9f1ee?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: "#252c2d" })`), `check_contrast` (with fixes), `generate_palette` (explore around locks), `suggest_palette` (mood/industry → curated-first), `list_palettes`.