NCS S 5502-Y - Khaki Brown
NCS S 5502-Y (Khaki Brown) is an NCS color with a HEX approximation of #8B7355, RGB 139, 115, 85, and CMYK 0/17/39/45. It has 55% blackness and 2% chromaticness with hue Y. Its closest Pantone Solid Coated match is 7504 C (Delta E 3.16), and its closest NCS neighbor is S 5000-N (Deep Grey).
About NCS S 5502-Y
NCS S 5502-Y is part of the Natural Color System, a perceptual color notation system developed in Sweden and widely used across Scandinavia and Northern Europe for architectural paint specifications. The code reads as: S (Standard) · 55% blackness · 2% chromaticness · hue Y.
Like every NCS code, S 5502-Y is defined by a physical paint swatch in the NCS Color Atlas, not by a digital value. The HEX approximation #8B7355 is the most commonly-published translation, but physical NCS swatches are the only authoritative source. The full NCS Atlas contains roughly 1,950 codes; our reference covers 50 benchmark codes.
Closest Pantone match
The closest Pantone Solid Coated color to NCS S 5502-Y is 7504 C (#94795D), with a perceptual difference of Delta E 2000 = 3.16. This is a reasonable match but you should verify against physical Pantone chips before production.
Closest NCS neighbors
These NCS codes are perceptually closest to S 5502-Y, sorted by Delta E 2000. Codes within the same family differ by Delta E 2-8 typically - siblings rather than duplicates.
Where NCS S 5502-Y is used
NCS S 5502-Y is typically specified in traditional building facades, natural-wood substitutes, and earth-toned architectural specifications. Its brown tone makes it appropriate wherever a refined, specialty, or decorative palette is wanted. Before specifying NCS S 5502-Y for a production run, verify the color against a physical NCS color fan under the actual lighting conditions and finish (matte, semi-gloss, gloss) that will be used - the same code looks meaningfully different across finishes.
Frequently asked questions
What is NCS S 5502-Y in HEX?
NCS S 5502-Y (Khaki Brown) has a HEX approximation of #8B7355. This is the widely-published mid-range value - NCS is a perceptual color notation system, not a digital one, so any HEX representation is a translation rather than a definition. Different published sources disagree by 2-5% for the same NCS code; #8B7355 is close to every commonly-cited reference.
What does NCS S 5502-Y mean?
The code breaks down as: S (Standard), 55% blackness, 2% chromaticness, hue Y. Blackness measures how much black the color contains relative to pure white (0%) and pure black (100%). Chromaticness measures how saturated the color is relative to a neutral gray at the same blackness. Hue Y specifies the position on the NCS perceptual color wheel - with Y for yellow, R for red, B for blue, G for green, or N for neutral.
What Pantone color is closest to NCS S 5502-Y?
The closest Pantone Solid Coated match to NCS S 5502-Y is 7504 C (#94795D), with a perceptual difference of Delta E 2000 = 3.16. This is a reasonable match but you should verify against physical Pantone chips before production.
What NCS color is closest to NCS S 5502-Y?
The closest NCS neighbors to S 5502-Y are S 5000-N (Deep Grey, Delta E 14.5), S 5500-N (Dark Grey, Delta E 15.4), S 4010-Y90R (Sienna, Delta E 16.1). Codes within the same family typically differ by Delta E 2-8 - siblings rather than duplicates.
Where is NCS S 5502-Y commonly used?
NCS S 5502-Y is typically used in traditional building facades, natural-wood substitutes, and earth-toned architectural specifications. Its brown tone makes it appropriate wherever a refined, specialty, or decorative palette is wanted. Before specifying NCS S 5502-Y for a production run, verify against a physical NCS color fan - the same code looks meaningfully different in different finishes.