Showa era
Fawn & Dusky Madder Violet
Plate 18 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Fawn, Dusky Madder Violet.
#d1b0a7
red · 3 palettes
Fawn
About Fawn
Fawn is a light, muted red tone. Its hex value is #d1b0a7 — that is
RGB 209, 176, 167, or HSL 13°, 31%, 74%.
It holds 10.5:1 contrast against dark, so Fawn works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.0:1; on black 10.5:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Fawn appears in 3 combinations — most often paired with Dusky Madder Violet, Cerulian Blue and Violet Blue.
Colours that go with Fawn
From a standard colour wheel, Fawn anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#d1b0a7 #A7C8D1
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#d1b0a7 #D1A7B3 #D1C5A7
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#d1b0a7 #A7D1B0 #B0A7D1
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#d1b0a7 #A7D1C5 #A7B3D1
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Fawn
Fawn is a light, muted tone (HSL 13°, 31%, 74%), which makes it a soft background or a light accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (10.5:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#A7C8D1) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#D1A7B3 and #D1C5A7) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Fawn
Fawn appears in 3 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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