Fossil
Fossil is a muted orange shade with RGB(128, 111, 99) and hex code #806F63, reading as medium-dark at a glance.
HEX
#806F63
RGB
128, 111, 99
HSL
25°, 13%, 45%
CMYK
0%, 13%, 23%, 50%
LAB
48, 5, 9
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Description
- •Fossil (#806F63) is a warm-toned orange color defined by RGB values of 128, 111, 99 and HSL values of 25 degrees hue, 13% saturation, and 45% lightness. At 45% lightness it appears medium-dark, and its muted character makes it well suited for backgrounds, text, or supporting UI elements. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #637480 for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #807D63 and #806366 for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a orange shade, Fossil 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
muted
Lightness level
medium-dark
Temperature
warm
Because Fossil is muted and medium-dark, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the orange family, colors like Fossil 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
- 1Fossil 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
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Visual perception
- At HSL(25, 13%, 45%), Fossil has a relative luminance of about 0.17 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
- Fossil (#806F63) 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 Fossil with white text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 4.8:1). It is versatile enough to use for larger surfaces such as backgrounds or cards.
Examples
web design
page backgrounds
branding
neutral brand background
UI design
card and panel backgrounds
body text or subtle fill
Purpose
Fossil works well for backgrounds, body text, or supporting UI surfaces where subtlety matters, given its muted and medium-dark profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with white text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 4.8:1
palette flexibility
combines with #637480 (complementary) and #63806F/#6F6380 (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as calm and neutral across most screens