Conversions, palettes, contrast & design ideas for this color.
Color profile
#AD9A8A is a warm color from the Orange family, closest in name to “Quicksand”. In RGB it is rgb(173, 154, 138); in HSL, hsl(27, 18%, 61%).
The color Quicksand, with hexadecimal code #ad9a8a, sits in the orange color family, typically linked to enthusiasm, creativity, and warmth. Orange hues stimulate appetite and social interaction, which is why food brands and community platforms favor them. Additionally, it evokes emotions such as Softness, Delicacy, Calmness, Relaxation and Friendliness. Orange is associated with spirituality and courage in some cultures, such as in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Western cultures, it often represents autumn, harvest, and creativity. At just 18% saturation, this near-neutral shade carries only a subtle hint of its underlying hue, making it versatile for large surfaces and professional contexts. At 61% lightness, it strikes an approachable, open balance—bright enough to feel welcoming yet substantial enough to carry visual weight. This color is ideal for designs that aim to express Softness, Delicacy, Calmness, Relaxation, or Friendliness. It can be effectively used in web design, branding, and marketing materials to attract attention and convey specific messages.
Key facts
The story of this color
Quicksand (#AD9A8A) belongs to the Orange color family.
With a dusty, low-saturation character, this color offers quiet complexity—neither bold nor faded. Dusty tones add vintage charm to retro-inspired designs and pair beautifully with metallic accents like copper or brass.
Orange as a distinct color name entered the English language in the 16th century, borrowed from the Sanskrit word for the fruit. In Buddhist tradition, saffron-orange robes signify renunciation and spiritual seeking. Dutch royalty adopted orange as a national symbol through the House of Orange-Nassau, and the color remains central to the Netherlands' national identity and celebrations.
Orange radiates warmth and sociability, making it effective for calls to action, subscription prompts, and community-oriented brands. It pairs beautifully with deep blue for complementary contrast or with cream for a softer, artisanal look. Avoid pairing orange with red, as the two can visually clash at similar saturation levels.
Positioned on the warm side of the color wheel (hue 27°), it naturally draws the eye and creates a sense of closeness—making it effective for calls to action, food photography, and hospitality branding. With only 18% saturation, this near-neutral shade carries just a hint of its underlying hue—subtle enough for large surfaces yet adding more warmth (or coolness) than a pure gray.
Orange stimulates enthusiasm, creativity, and appetite—which is why food delivery apps and restaurant chains frequently feature it. It signals fun and accessibility, lowering barriers to engagement. Too much orange can feel overwhelming, so balance it with generous white space.
At 61% lightness, it reads clearly on dark backgrounds and provides a welcoming, open feel in light-themed designs—versatile across both contexts.
Create vibrant gradient backgrounds transitioning from orange to yellow for summer campaign landing pages. Use burnt orange with charcoal typography for a sophisticated autumn editorial palette. In app design, orange notification badges on a dark interface draw the eye immediately.
Every format
Every way to write Quicksand — one-tap copy on every format; tap on any card to learn what it is and when to use it.
#AD9A8A
Hexadecimal is the web’s universal color notation — two digits each for red, green and blue. Drop it straight into HTML, CSS or any design tool.
rgb(173, 154, 138)
RGB is the additive Red-Green-Blue model every screen uses to emit light. The default choice for websites, apps and on-screen UI.
hsl(27, 18%, 61%)
HSL breaks a color into Hue, Saturation and Lightness — the most intuitive way to lighten, darken or mute a color in CSS.
hsv(27, 20%, 68%)
HSV (also called HSB) maps Hue, Saturation and Value/Brightness. It is the model behind the color pickers in Photoshop, Figma and most design apps.
hwb(27 54% 32%)
HWB blends a pure hue with Whiteness and Blackness — a painter-friendly model added in CSS Color 4 for quick tints and shades.
cmyk(0%, 11%, 20%, 32%)
CMYK is the subtractive Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black ink model. Use these values when preparing artwork for a printer or commercial press.
oklch(69.85% 0.032 62.38)
OKLCH is a modern, perceptually-uniform space (Lightness, Chroma, Hue). It powers smooth gradients and accessible palettes in today’s CSS.
oklab(69.85% 0.015 0.028)
OKLab is the Cartesian form of OKLCH — ideal for blending and interpolating colors without the muddy midpoints older spaces produce.
L: 64.83, a: 4.36, b: 10.95
CIELAB is a device-independent, perceptually-uniform space. It is the standard for measuring color difference (ΔE) and matching across devices.
L: 64.83, C: 11.79, H: 68.30
LCH is CIELAB in cylindrical form — Lightness, Chroma and Hue — letting you adjust vividness and hue while staying perceptually even.
X: 33.38, Y: 33.83, Z: 28.82
CIE XYZ is the 1931 master space that underpins every other model here — the scientific bridge used to convert between color systems.
11377290
The 24-bit integer value of the color — handy for databases, APIs, game engines and low-level graphics code.
Channel breakdown
How much red, green and blue light mixes into Quicksand.
Percentages show each channel's share of the total light (R + G + B) in Quicksand.
Ink coverage
Ink needed to reproduce Quicksand in four-color print. Heaviest ink: Key (Black).
Print tip: treat these values as a starting point — final output depends on printer profile, paper stock and calibration.
Accessibility · WCAG
How bright Quicksand is, and how far black and white text clear each WCAG bar.
Contrast ratio · 1:1 → 21:1 (log scale)
Developer shortcuts
Copy-and-paste CSS for Quicksand — per-line copy, or grab the whole block.
background-color: #AD9A8A;
color: #AD9A8A;
border: 2px solid #AD9A8A;
background-color: rgb(173, 154, 138);
background-color: hsl(27, 18%, 61%);
--color: #AD9A8A;
Shades · light to dark
Lighter and darker steps of Quicksand — the color's full brightness range in one strip.
The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.
Harmony · 180° apart
Two colors opposite on the wheel — maximum contrast for attention-grabbing accents.
The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.
Harmony · adjacent hues
Neighboring hues on the wheel — harmonious, calm combinations that feel unified.
The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.
Harmony · 120° apart
Three colors evenly spaced on the wheel — vibrant and energetic, yet balanced.
The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.
Harmony · 90° apart
Four colors evenly spaced on the wheel (tetradic) — rich schemes with multiple accents.
The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex or open its color page.
Accessibility
How Quicksand reads across five kinds of color vision — a ✓ Friendly verdict means the color difference stays distinguishable for that vision type.
The dot marks the original color. Hover any shade to copy its hex.
Harmony overview
The lead color from each harmony scheme, side by side — a shortcut to the full palettes above.
Perceptually nearby
A step away in brightness, richness or shade — each still feels like the same color.
From the color-name library
The closest named colors to #AD9A8A — same mood, each with its own character.
Looking for more Orange shades? Browse Orange colors →
Inspiration
Curated Unsplash photos that carry the mood of Quicksand — hover any tile to download it or view the original.
Good to know
Harmony