Colors Encyclopedia

Named color

Iron

Iron color #48494B: RGB 72, 73, 75 and HSL 220°, 2%, 29%. Explore its neutral gray profile, contrast, CSS, palettes and harmonies.

#48494B gray neutral muted
HEX #48494B
RGB rgb(72, 73, 75)
HSL hsl(220 2% 29%)
CMYK cmyk(4, 3, 0, 71)
Luminance 0.0665
Contrast Black 2.33:1White 9.01:1

Use this color

Create with Iron

Open a professional color tool with #48494B already applied. Each configuration stays canonical to the tool and can be adjusted or shared.

All color tools
Generate palette & CSS variablesCreate 50–950 tokens and export CSS, SCSS, JSON, or Tailwind.Open configured tool →Open in Gradient StudioStart with Iron and its complementary color.Open configured tool →Mix this colorBlend it with a complementary color and copy color-mix() CSS.Open configured tool →Check contrastOpen the strongest black or white background pairing.Open configured tool →Accessible combinationsReview AA and AAA text options, alternatives, warnings, and UI guidance.Open configured tool →Create glass surfaceUse this color as the tint for a translucent UI panel.Open configured tool →

CSS Utilities

--color-iron: #48494B;
.bg-iron { background-color: #48494B; }
.text-iron { color: #48494B; }
Open CSS utility pageReusable variables, classes, examples, and implementation notes

Color meaning and use

About Iron Color

Iron uses HEX #48494B, RGB 72, 73, 75, and HSL 220°, 2%, 29%. The dataset classifies it in the gray family with neutral temperature and muted visual character.

No separate named-color neighbor is recorded for this entry. Its relative luminance is 0.0665; black contrast is 2.33:1 and white contrast is 9.01:1, making white the stronger of those two standard foreground choices.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Iron against black and white text.

Black text2.33:1AA Fail
White text9.01:1AA Pass
AA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5
AAA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5
Open WCAG pageDetailed contrast notes, warnings, alternatives, and UI examples

Downloadable color reference infographic

Iron Color Reference Infographic

Save a high-resolution infographic of Iron, including its color values, coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.

1200 × 800
Iron color reference infographic showing #48494B, RGB and HSL values, a coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.
Iron color reference infographic generated from the verified Colors Encyclopedia dataset.
Download WebPDownload SVGOpen full size

Color Harmonies

#4B4A48#4B4A48#484B4B#484B4B#49484B#49484B#4B4849#4B4849#494B48#494B48
Open full Iron harmony pageComplementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split, and monochromatic sets

Variants

#75777A#75777A#1B1C1D#1B1C1D#38445C#38445C#4A4A4A#4A4A4A#8A8A8A#8A8A8A#003FBD#003FBD

Pairings

White#FFFFFF#4B4A48#4B4A48#484B4B#484B4B#49484B#49484BMatte Black#1A1A1AWhite Smoke#F5F5F5

Machine-readable data

Machine-Readable Color Data (JSON)

Perfect for CSS, design systems, automation, and AI ingestion.

AI-Ready Dataset v1.0.0
Luminance0.0665
Black text2.33:1AA Fail
White text9.01:1AA Pass
hexCanonical HEX value
rgbRed, green, blue channels
hslHue, saturation, lightness
cmykApproximate print conversion
wcagAA and AAA contrast options
harmoniesMathematical harmony sets
variantsGenerated tone variants
nearestColorsKnowledge graph neighbors
Download JSON Open API
Structured sections
Color systems
{
  "hex": "#48494B",
  "rgb": [
    72,
    73,
    75
  ],
  "hsl": [
    220,
    2,
    29
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    4,
    3,
    0,
    71
  ],
  "luminance": 0.0665,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 2.33,
    "white": 9.01
  }
}
WCAG
{
  "AA": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5"
  ],
  "AAA": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5"
  ]
}
Harmonies
{
  "complementary": "#4B4A48",
  "analogous": [
    "#484B4B",
    "#49484B"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#4B4849",
    "#494B48"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#4B484B",
    "#4B4A48",
    "#484B49"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#4B4948",
    "#4B4B48"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#75777A",
    "#48494B",
    "#1B1C1D"
  ]
}
Variants
{
  "light": "#75777A",
  "dark": "#1B1C1D",
  "saturated": "#38445C",
  "desaturated": "#4A4A4A",
  "pastel": "#8A8A8A",
  "neon": "#003FBD"
}
Pairings
{
  "best": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#4B4A48",
    "#484B4B",
    "#49484B"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#4A4A4A",
    "#75777A"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#FFFFFF"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#75777A",
    "#4A4A4A"
  ]
}
Knowledge graph
{
  "nearestColors": [
    "asphalt-gray",
    "basalt",
    "charcoal",
    "pine-needle",
    "dark-slate-gray"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "iron"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "asphalt-gray-vs-iron",
    "basalt-vs-iron"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/muted"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/iron",
    "/wcag/iron",
    "/css/colors/iron",
    "/hex/48494b",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/muted"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/iron"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/asphalt-gray",
      "/colors/basalt",
      "/colors/charcoal",
      "/colors/pine-needle",
      "/colors/dark-slate-gray",
      "/compare/asphalt-gray-vs-iron",
      "/compare/basalt-vs-iron",
      "/harmonies/iron",
      "/wcag/iron",
      "/css/colors/iron",
      "/hex/48494b",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  }
}
Full JSON dataset 
{
  "slug": "iron",
  "name": "Iron",
  "hex": "#48494B",
  "uses": [
    "metallic palettes",
    "product finishes",
    "premium packaging"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "finish",
      "durability",
      "value"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "hardware",
      "automotive",
      "jewelry",
      "industrial design"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "flat pastel systems"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [],
  "sourceType": "curated",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "reviewStatus": "manual",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/assets/colors.json",
  "origin": {
    "type": "common",
    "notes": "Curated common color reference used in design, material, cultural, and editorial color systems."
  },
  "family": "gray",
  "temperature": "neutral",
  "tone": [
    "muted"
  ],
  "editorialNotes": "Curated internal color record with computed technical properties.",
  "tags": [
    "gray",
    "neutral",
    "muted",
    "metallic-palettes",
    "product-finishes",
    "premium-packaging",
    "finish",
    "durability",
    "value"
  ],
  "popularity": 84,
  "rgb": [
    72,
    73,
    75
  ],
  "hsl": [
    220,
    2,
    29
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    4,
    3,
    0,
    71
  ],
  "luminance": 0.0665,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 2.33,
    "white": 9.01
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#4B4A48",
    "analogous": [
      "#484B4B",
      "#49484B"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#4B4849",
      "#494B48"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#4B484B",
      "#4B4A48",
      "#484B49"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#4B4948",
      "#4B4B48"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#75777A",
      "#48494B",
      "#1B1C1D"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#75777A",
    "dark": "#1B1C1D",
    "saturated": "#38445C",
    "desaturated": "#4A4A4A",
    "pastel": "#8A8A8A",
    "neon": "#003FBD"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-iron: #48494B;",
    "utility": ".bg-iron { background-color: #48494B; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-iron { color: #48494B; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "asphalt-gray",
    "basalt",
    "charcoal",
    "pine-needle",
    "dark-slate-gray"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "iron"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "asphalt-gray-vs-iron",
    "basalt-vs-iron"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/muted"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/iron",
    "/wcag/iron",
    "/css/colors/iron",
    "/hex/48494b",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/muted"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/iron"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/asphalt-gray",
      "/colors/basalt",
      "/colors/charcoal",
      "/colors/pine-needle",
      "/colors/dark-slate-gray",
      "/compare/asphalt-gray-vs-iron",
      "/compare/basalt-vs-iron",
      "/harmonies/iron",
      "/wcag/iron",
      "/css/colors/iron",
      "/hex/48494b",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#4B4A48",
      "#484B4B",
      "#49484B"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#4A4A4A",
      "#75777A"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#FFFFFF"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#75777A",
      "#4A4A4A"
    ]
  }
}
Dataset manifest Version 1.0.0 Build hash published in manifest Canonical page

Similar Colors

Asphalt Gray#4B4B4B
Basalt#4B4C4C
Charcoal#36454F
Pine Needle#334D41
Dark Slate Gray#2F4F4F

Related Color Guides

Gray color familyBrowse named gray colors and compare nearby swatches.Neutral colorsExplore colors with neutral temperature behavior.Muted colorsFind colors with muted visual character.Iron accessibilityCheck contrast and WCAG text options for #48494B.Iron CSS utilitiesUse Iron in CSS variables and utility classes.#48494B HEX atlasOpen the permanent HEX atlas record for conversions and variants.Iron paletteOpen the generated palette based on Iron.Iron harmoniesExplore complementary, analogous, triadic, and tetradic harmonies.