Bittersweet Chocolate
Bittersweet Chocolate is a richly saturated orange shade with RGB(79, 43, 23) and hex code #4F2B17, reading as dark at a glance.
HEX
#4F2B17
RGB
79, 43, 23
HSL
21°, 55%, 20%
CMYK
0%, 46%, 71%, 69%
LAB
22, 15, 20
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Description
- •Bittersweet Chocolate (#4F2B17) is a warm-toned orange color defined by RGB values of 79, 43, 23 and HSL values of 21 degrees hue, 55% saturation, and 20% lightness. At 20% lightness it appears dark, and its richly saturated character makes it suitable as a strong accent or brand color. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #173B4F for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #4F4717 and #4F171F for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a orange shade, Bittersweet Chocolate tends to carry the general associations of that hue family: creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability. Orange sits between red and yellow on the wheel and is often associated with warmth, enthusiasm, and affordability in branding.
Hue family
orange
Saturation level
richly saturated
Lightness level
dark
Temperature
warm
Because Bittersweet Chocolate is richly saturated and dark, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the orange family, colors like Bittersweet Chocolate are commonly associated with creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability, though exact interpretation depends on cultural context and surrounding design elements.
Hue family
orange
Common associations
creativity, enthusiasm, and approachability
Temperature
warm
History
- 1Bittersweet Chocolate is a named point in a modern digital color palette rather than a documented historical pigment, but the orange family it belongs to has a long design history. Orange sits between red and yellow on the wheel and is often associated with warmth, enthusiasm, and affordability in branding.
Color info
Quick actions
Visual perception
- At HSL(21, 55%, 20%), Bittersweet Chocolate has a relative luminance of about 0.03 on a 0-1 scale, which generally poses low risk for common color vision deficiencies, though pairing with sufficient lightness contrast is still recommended.
Technology specific
- Bittersweet Chocolate (#4F2B17) renders consistently on standard sRGB displays; on wider-gamut or uncalibrated screens, expect minor shifts in perceived saturation. For print reproduction, convert from RGB to CMYK and proof physically, since muted colors like this can shift noticeably between screen and print.
Guidance
Use Bittersweet Chocolate with white text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 12.4:1). It is versatile enough to use for larger surfaces such as backgrounds or cards.
Examples
web design
call-to-action buttons
branding
logo accent color
UI design
card and panel backgrounds
spot color for emphasis
Purpose
Bittersweet Chocolate works well for backgrounds, body text, or supporting UI surfaces where subtlety matters, given its richly saturated and dark profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with white text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 12.4:1
palette flexibility
combines with #173B4F (complementary) and #174F2B/#2B174F (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as bold and energetic across most screens