Weathered Sandstone
Weathered Sandstone is a moderately saturated orange shade with RGB(223, 192, 166) and hex code #DFC0A6, reading as light at a glance.
HEX
#DFC0A6
RGB
223, 192, 166
HSL
27°, 47%, 76%
CMYK
0%, 14%, 26%, 13%
LAB
80, 7, 17
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Description
- •Weathered Sandstone (#DFC0A6) is a warm-toned orange color defined by RGB values of 223, 192, 166 and HSL values of 27 degrees hue, 47% saturation, and 76% lightness. At 76% lightness it appears light, and its moderately saturated character makes it suitable as a strong accent or brand color. It pairs naturally with its complementary shade #A6C5DF for high-contrast schemes, or with the analogous tones #DFDCA6 and #DFA6A9 for a more harmonious palette.
Psychology
As a orange shade, Weathered Sandstone 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
moderately saturated
Lightness level
light
Temperature
warm
Because Weathered Sandstone is moderately saturated and light, it tends to feel calm and unobtrusive in a design context.
Meaning
Within the orange family, colors like Weathered Sandstone 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
- 1Weathered Sandstone 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(27, 47%, 76%), Weathered Sandstone has a relative luminance of about 0.56 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
- Weathered Sandstone (#DFC0A6) 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 Weathered Sandstone with black text for readability (contrast ratio approximately 12.2:1). 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
Weathered Sandstone works well for accent elements, buttons, and calls-to-action that need to stand out, given its moderately saturated and light profile.
Benefits
visual contrast
pairs with black text for a WCAG contrast ratio of about 12.2:1
palette flexibility
combines with #A6C5DF (complementary) and #A6DFC0/#C0A6DF (triadic) for varied schemes
brand consistency
reads as calm and neutral across most screens