Bronze Color Palette
Bronze is hex #CD7F32, rgb(205, 127, 50). Bronze is a brown-gold metallic, the alloy of copper and tin. It signals third place in sport but also age, heritage and craft.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Bronze color codes
Reading the bronze color codes
The hex code #CD7F32 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. CD is 205, 7F is 127 and 32 is 50, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(205, 127, 50) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives bronze its orange character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 30 degrees places bronze in the orange part of the color wheel. Saturation of 61% makes it vivid, and lightness of 50% makes it a mid-tone color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 0% cyan, 38% magenta, 76% yellow and 20% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to bronze for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Bronze shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #CD7F32, so you can use bronze for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"bronze": {
50: "#F5E5D6",
100: "#EDD1B5",
200: "#E5BC94",
300: "#DDA874",
400: "#D59353",
500: "#CD7F32",
600: "#B16E2B",
700: "#965D25",
800: "#7A4B1E",
900: "#5F3A17",
950: "#432910",
},
},
},
}:root {
--bronze-50: #F5E5D6;
--bronze-100: #EDD1B5;
--bronze-200: #E5BC94;
--bronze-300: #DDA874;
--bronze-400: #D59353;
--bronze-500: #CD7F32;
--bronze-600: #B16E2B;
--bronze-700: #965D25;
--bronze-800: #7A4B1E;
--bronze-900: #5F3A17;
--bronze-950: #432910;
}A shade-by-shade guide to bronze
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#F5E5D6) and 100 (#EDD1B5), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the bronze mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#E5BC94) and 300 (#DDA874) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where bronze is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 700 upward, so use step 700 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 600.
The darkest steps, 800 (#7A4B1E) through 950 (#432910), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to bronze. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with bronze
How the bronze color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from bronze is #3280CD, which sits closest to steel blue among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #CD3232 and #CDCD32 sit 30 degrees either side of bronze. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#32CD7F and #7F32CD) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to emerald green. The split complementary set (#32CDCC and #3233CD) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #EBCCAD to #5A3816. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Bronze compared with similar colors
ochre (#CC7722) is about as light and more saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose ochre if you need more weight and contrast; choose bronze if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
copper (#B87333) is about as light and similarly saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose copper if you need more weight and contrast; choose bronze if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
burnt sienna (#E97451) is lighter (62% vs 50% lightness) and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose burnt sienna if you want a softer, airier version; choose bronze if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Bronze in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here bronze carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using bronze in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on bronze reach 3.14:1, enough for large or bold text only. For regular button labels, use step 700 or switch to dark text.
- Text. Avoid bronze for body text on white; use step 700 or darker for links and headings that need to read as bronze.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid mid-tone color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with bronze. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Bronze scores 3.14:1 against white (AA large) and 6.68:1 against black (AA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use bronze alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What bronze means
Metallic colors (gold, silver, bronze, copper, rose gold) suggest value, achievement and craftsmanship.
Bronze is the alloy that gave the Bronze Age its name. Today it is associated with third place, heritage and sculpture.
Flat metallic hex codes look dull on screen because real metal depends on reflections. Use them as accents, or build a subtle gradient between two tones of the metal.
Where bronze works best
- Awards and achievements UI
- Heritage brands
- Sculpture and museum design
- Premium menus
How to style bronze
Bronze pairs with charcoal, cream, slate and deep green. Use it for award tiers, heritage details and premium accents. Pair it with gold and silver tones if you need an achievement scale.
Build a UI with bronze
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #CD7F32 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Bronze · History and definition of bronze.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for bronze?
The hex code for bronze used on this page is #CD7F32. In RGB that is rgb(205, 127, 50), and in HSL it is hsl(30, 61%, 50%).
What colors go well with bronze?
Bronze pairs well with #F0D5B8, #FAF6F1, #3A2E24 (the Foundry palette above). Its complementary color is #3280CD, and analogous colors are #CD3232 and #CDCD32.
Is bronze a warm or cool color?
Bronze is a warm color. Its hue sits at 30 degrees on the color wheel with 61% saturation.
Can I use bronze for text?
Bronze has a contrast ratio of 3.14:1 against white and 6.68:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does bronze mean?
Metallic colors (gold, silver, bronze, copper, rose gold) suggest value, achievement and craftsmanship. Bronze in particular is used for awards and achievements ui and heritage brands.
How do I use bronze in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#CD7F32] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-bronze-500 and text-bronze-900.
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