Showa era
Khaki & Deep Grayish Olive +1
Plate 146 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Khaki, Deep Grayish Olive, Diamine Green.
#635a3a
yellow · 2 palettes
Deep Grayish Olive
About Deep Grayish Olive
Deep Grayish Olive is a deep, muted yellow tone. Its hex value is #635a3a — that is
RGB 99, 90, 58, or HSL 47°, 26%, 31%.
It holds 6.9:1 contrast against white, so Deep Grayish Olive works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 6.9:1; on black 3.1:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Deep Grayish Olive appears in 2 combinations — most often paired with Khaki, Diamine Green and Burnt Sienna.
Colours that go with Deep Grayish Olive
From a standard colour wheel, Deep Grayish Olive anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#635a3a #3A4363
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#635a3a #63463A #57633A
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#635a3a #3A635A #5A3A63
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#635a3a #3A5763 #453A63
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Deep Grayish Olive
Deep Grayish Olive is a deep, muted tone (HSL 47°, 26%, 31%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (6.9:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#3A4363) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#63463A and #57633A) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Deep Grayish Olive off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
-
...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
View on Amazon -
...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors II - Art Nouveau
View on Amazon
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Palettes with Deep Grayish Olive
Deep Grayish Olive appears in 2 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Deep Grayish Olive
- What is the hex code for Deep Grayish Olive?
- Deep Grayish Olive is #635a3a. It appears in 2 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Deep Grayish Olive look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Deep Grayish Olive (#635a3a) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 6.88:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 3.05:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Deep Grayish Olive come from?
- Deep Grayish Olive is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued yellow pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Deep Grayish Olive in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#635a3a) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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