Exploring the Color #746E8D

#746E8D sits at 252° on the color wheel, placing it in the blue family of the cool half of the spectrum. With 12% saturation and 49% lightness, it reads as a heavily muted, balanced tone — a quiet, restrained presence that recedes rather than competes. Its RGB mix of 116, 110, 141 produces a 4.82:1 contrast ratio against white, which clears WCAG AA for body text in that pairing.

In RGB space #746E8D is a clear variant of CSS gray — about 25 units away from #808080. Designers reach for blue 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