Tailwind CSS v4 default palette
Tailwind gray-900: #101828
In Tailwind CSS v4, gray-900 is defined as --color-gray-900: oklch(21% 0.034 264.665), which is #101828 in hex and rgb(16, 24, 40): a very dark, grayish blue. In Tailwind v3, gray-900 was #111827.
In OKLCH, gray-900 has a lightness of 21.0%, chroma 0.034 and hue 264.7°.
The value fits inside sRGB, so the hex #101828 represents it without loss on any screen.
In v3, gray-900 was #111827. The v4 value is ΔE OK 0.2 away, below the point where most people can tell them apart.
Tailwind gray is a cool gray with a lighter blue tint than slate, the default neutral in many Tailwind projects.
Color codes for gray-900
| Tailwind v4 token | --color-gray-900 |
|---|---|
| OKLCH (source value) | oklch(21% 0.034 264.665) |
| HEX | #101828 |
| RGB | rgb(16, 24, 40) |
| HSL | hsl(220, 43%, 11%) |
| HWB | hwb(220 6% 84%) |
| CMYK (naive, no ICC profile) | cmyk(60%, 40%, 0%, 84%) |
| Decimal | 1,054,760 |
| Tailwind v3 hex | #111827 |
| Utility classes | bg-gray-900, text-gray-900, border-gray-900 |
Tailwind gray scale
Contrast and accessibility
On gray-900, white text has a contrast ratio of 17.74:1 and passes AAA at any text size; black text reaches 1.18:1.
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios (success criteria 1.4.3 and 1.4.6: AA needs 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1 and 4.5:1). APCA Lc is the lightness contrast from the APCA-W3 0.0.98G model proposed for WCAG 3; a higher absolute value is more readable, and Lc 75 is its suggested minimum for body text.
| Pair | Ratio | AA | AA large | AAA | AAA large | APCA Lc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black text on gray-900 | 1.18:1 | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail | 0.0 |
| White text on gray-900 | 17.74:1 | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | −106.7 |
| Gray-900 text on white | 17.74:1 | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | 104.5 |
| Gray-900 text on black | 1.18:1 | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail | 0.0 |
Tints and shades
Each step mixes var(--color-gray-900) with white (tints) or black (shades) in gamma-encoded sRGB, the same result as color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-gray-900), white 25%) in CSS.
Tints (mixed with white)
- 5%
#1c2433 - 15%
#343b48 - 25%
#4c525e - 35%
#646973 - 45%
#7c8089 - 55%
#93979e - 65%
#abaeb4 - 75%
#c3c5c9 - 85%
#dbdcdf - 95%
#f3f3f4
Shades (mixed with black)
- 5%
#0f1726 - 15%
#0e1422 - 25%
#0c121e - 35%
#0a101a - 45%
#090d16 - 55%
#070b12 - 65%
#06080e - 75%
#04060a - 85%
#020406 - 95%
#010102
Color harmonies
Rotating the hue in OKLCH while keeping lightness and chroma, gray-900's complementary color is #1F1705 (close to midnightblue), its analogous colors are #061B26 and #191526, and its triadic partners are #261210 and #0E1C0E. For text on top, white gives the higher contrast.
| Harmony | Rotation | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary | +180° | #1f1705 |
| Analogous | −30°, +30° | #061b26#191526 |
| Triadic | +120°, +240° | #261210#0e1c0e |
| Split-complementary | +150°, +210° | #241408#181a07 |
Computed in OKLCH: the hue is rotated by 180° (complementary), ±30° (analogous), ±120° (triadic) and 180° ±30° (split-complementary) while lightness and chroma stay fixed. Results that fall outside sRGB are brought back with the CSS Color 4 gamut mapping algorithm. Because this uses OKLCH, the values differ from tools that rotate hue in HSL, but every color keeps the same perceived lightness.
Warm or cool?
Tailwind gray-900 is a cool color: its hue is 220° on the HSL wheel, in the green, blue and violet range that is conventionally called cool.
Nearest named and Tailwind colors
Distance is ΔE OK, the Euclidean distance in OKLab multiplied by 100. Values under about 2 are hard to tell apart side by side.
Code snippets
<div class="bg-gray-900 text-white">...</div>
<p class="text-gray-900 border-gray-900">...</p>.element {
color: var(--color-gray-900);
background-color: oklch(21% 0.034 264.665);
border-color: #101828;
outline-color: rgb(16 24 40);
}import SwiftUI
extension Color {
static let gray900 = Color(red: 0.063, green: 0.094, blue: 0.157)
}import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
val Gray900 = Color(0xFF101828)import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
const gray900 = Color(0xFF101828);<!-- res/values/colors.xml -->
<color name="gray_900">#101828</color>Frequently asked questions
- What is the hex code for Tailwind gray-900?
- In Tailwind CSS v4, gray-900 is oklch(21% 0.034 264.665), which converts to #101828 (rgb(16, 24, 40)) in sRGB. In Tailwind v3 the same name was #111827.
- What is the difference between gray-900 in Tailwind v3 and v4?
- v3 used the hex #111827; v4 redefined the palette in OKLCH as oklch(21% 0.034 264.665). In v3, gray-900 was #111827. The v4 value is ΔE OK 0.2 away, below the point where most people can tell them apart.
- How do I use gray-900 in plain CSS?
- Tailwind v4 defines every palette color as a theme variable, so in CSS you write var(--color-gray-900). By default Tailwind only emits the variables your project uses; @theme static emits all of them.
- Can you use white text on gray-900?
- White text on gray-900 has a contrast ratio of 17.74:1, which passes both AA and AAA under WCAG 2.2. Black text reaches 1.18:1 and fails AA even for large text. In APCA terms that is Lc −106.7 for white and Lc 0.0 for black.
- Which CSS named color is closest to gray-900?
- The closest is midnightblue (#191970) at ΔE OK 13.5, followed by navy and darkblue.
Last reviewed by Arielton Oberek.