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bg-gray-500

Tailwind Gray 500

#6B7280·Gray family·Shade 500

Color Values

HEX
#6B7280
RGB
rgb(107, 114, 128)
HSL
hsl(220, 9%, 46%)
OKLCH
oklch(0.551 0.023 264)
CMYK
cmyk(16%, 11%, 0%, 50%)
CSS Variable
var(--color-gray-500)
Tailwind Class
bg-gray-500

Accessibility Score

60/100

Good

Based on WCAG 2.1 contrast ratios against white and black backgrounds.

On White

4.83:1

AA

On Black

4.34:1

AA Large
Test in Contrast Checker →

Tailwind Usage — All Utilities

Background

bg-gray-500

Text

text-gray-500

Border

border-gray-500

Ring

ring-gray-500

Outline

outline-gray-500

Fill

fill-gray-500

Stroke

stroke-gray-500

From (gradient)

from-gray-500

Via (gradient)

via-gray-500

To (gradient)

to-gray-500

Placeholder

placeholder-gray-500

Caret

caret-gray-500

Accent

accent-gray-500

Decoration

decoration-gray-500

Shadow Color

shadow-gray-500

Tailwind v3 Config (extend custom color)

// tailwind.config.js module.exports = { theme: { extend: { colors: { 'gray-500': '#6b7280', }, }, }, };

CSS Equivalent

/* Hex */
background-color: #6B7280;

/* RGB */
background-color: rgb(107, 114, 128);

/* HSL */
background-color: hsl(220, 9%, 46%);

/* OKLCH (CSS Color Level 4) */
background-color: oklch(0.551 0.023 264);

/* CSS Custom Property (Tailwind v4) */
background-color: var(--color-gray-500);

/* Gradient example */
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #f9fafb 0%, #4b5563 100%);

OKLCH — Modern Color Space

Lightness (L)

0.551

55% perceived brightness

Chroma (C)

0.023

Color intensity / saturation

Hue (H)

264°

Angle on perceptual hue wheel

oklch(0.551 0.023 264)

OKLCH is a perceptually uniform color space in CSS Color Level 4. Unlike HSL, equal steps in L produce equal perceived lightness changes — making it ideal for building accessible, harmonious design system scales.

Design Recommendations

Primary brand color

Shade 500 of the Gray palette

Recommended Uses

  • ✓CTA buttons
  • ✓Active navigation links
  • ✓Primary brand accents
  • ✓Interactive element fills
  • ✓Highlighted badges

Avoid

✗Text on dark/black backgrounds — check contrast before use.

Preview

On White

Aa Bb Cc

On Black

Aa Bb Cc

As Background

Aa Bb Cc — #6B7280

Gray Shades

50

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

950

Similar Tailwind Colors

Perceptually close shades from other Tailwind color families.

Tailwind Zinc 500

#71717A

Tailwind Slate 500

#64748B

Tailwind Neutral 500

#737373

Tailwind Stone 500

#78716C

Tailwind Slate 600

#475569

Tailwind Zinc 600

#52525B

Nearest Named Color

Tailwind Gray 500

Nearest Tailwind equivalent — #6B7280

Design & Accessibility Guides

Guide

Building an Accessible Color System

Design Systems · 10 min read

Guide

WCAG Contrast Ratios Explained

WCAG · 8 min read

Guide

WCAG AA vs AAA: Which Standard Should You Target?

WCAG · 7 min read

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hex code for Tailwind Gray 500?
Tailwind Gray 500 has the hex code #6B7280. Its RGB value is rgb(107, 114, 128) and its HSL value is hsl(220, 9%, 46%).
What Tailwind utility classes use Gray 500?
Use bg-gray-500 for backgrounds, text-gray-500 for text color, border-gray-500 for borders, and ring-gray-500 for focus rings. In Tailwind v4 the CSS variable var(--color-gray-500) is available natively.
Is Tailwind Gray 500 WCAG accessible?
Tailwind Gray 500 achieves a 4.83:1 contrast ratio on white (AA) and 4.34:1 on black (AA Large). Its overall accessibility score is 60/100 (Good).
What is the OKLCH value for Tailwind Gray 500?
Tailwind Gray 500 in OKLCH is oklch(0.551 0.023 264) — lightness 0.551, chroma 0.023, hue 264°. OKLCH is a perceptually uniform space supported natively in modern CSS via the `color()` function.
What is Tailwind Gray 500 used for?
At shade 500, Tailwind Gray 500 is best described as "Primary brand color". Recommended uses: CTA buttons, Active navigation links, Primary brand accents.
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