Exploring the Color #485E69

#485E69 sits at 200° on the color wheel, placing it in the azure family of the cool half of the spectrum. With 19% saturation and 35% lightness, it reads as a heavily muted, shadowed tone — a balanced mid-energy presence that sits comfortably alongside other UI tones. Its RGB mix of 72, 94, 105 produces a 6.82:1 contrast ratio against white, which clears WCAG AA for body text in that pairing.

In RGB space #485E69 is a clear variant of CSS dim gray — about 35 units away from #696969. Designers reach for azure hues at this saturation when the brief calls for restraint and atmosphere, and at this lightness when they want a present, comfortable mid-canvas voice. On screen the cool cast tends to pair best with warm neutrals in the 25°-45° range to add life.

Darkening Shades

Lightening Shades