RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western art, Burnt Umber symbolizes stability and reliability, often used to represent the earth and natural landscapes. Conversely, in some Indigenous cultures, it can signify healing and connection to the land.
The term 'umber' originates from the Latin word 'umbra', meaning shadow, reflecting its dark tones. Burnt Umber was notably used by artists like Rembrandt in the 17th century, who favored it for its blending qualities and depth in oil paintings.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Burnt Umber. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 35 Browns →Nine steps of Burnt Umber by lightness — from #481B13 (darkest) to #C2958D (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Burnt Umber at 189° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Burnt Umber.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Burnt Umber anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: #8A3324; color-mix(in srgb, #8A3324 70%, white) 9°, 74%, 54% 0, 63, 74, 46 9057060 #993333 How Burnt Umber appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.