#E8DCC0
#C8B490
#A08A64
#4E4432
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Aged Paper Color Palette

#E8DCC0 · #C8B490 · #A08A64 · #4E4432

AAA
WCAG Grade
7.0:1
Contrast Ratio
933
Saves
2,053
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #E8DCC0 as the background. Use #C8B490 as the primary accent. Use #A08A64 as secondary. Use #4E4432 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Aged Paper — vintage, warm, mono, earthy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Aged Paper color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).

Swatch Design Role HEX RGB CMYK HSL
Background
Luminance: 72.1%
232, 220, 192 0%, 5%, 17%, 9% 42°, 47%, 83%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 46.9%
200, 180, 144 0%, 10%, 28%, 22% 39°, 34%, 67%
Secondary
Luminance: 26.6%
160, 138, 100 0%, 14%, 38%, 37% 38°, 24%, 51%
Body Text
Luminance: 6.0%
78, 68, 50 0%, 13%, 36%, 69% 39°, 22%, 25%

Aged Paper Tints & Shades

Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Aged Paper palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#E8DCC0 gently saturated orange
#C8B490 gently saturated orange
#A08A64 muted orange
#4E4432 muted orange

Aged Paper Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)

Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.

Text on Background Preview Ratio Grade Safe For
#4E4432 on #E8DCC0
Aa Sample Text
7.02:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E8DCC0 on #4E4432
Aa Sample Text
7.02:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#4E4432 on #C8B490
Aa Sample Text
4.73:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8B490 on #4E4432
Aa Sample Text
4.73:1 AA Body text, UI
#4E4432 on #A08A64
Aa Sample Text
2.87:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A08A64 on #4E4432
Aa Sample Text
2.87:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A08A64 on #E8DCC0
Aa Sample Text
2.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8DCC0 on #A08A64
Aa Sample Text
2.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A08A64 on #C8B490
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B490 on #A08A64
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B490 on #E8DCC0
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8DCC0 on #C8B490
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only

Aged Paper Color Psychology & Meaning

Aged paper turns from white to cream and then to tan as the lignin in it oxidises, leaving darker edges where air reaches first, and this palette is aged cream with edge brown. It feels old and quiet, the color of a page that has been read before.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Aged Paper palette is built using a analogous relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.

History & Design Context

Paper yellows because lignin, a component of wood pulp, oxidises into acids that darken it; this is also why cheap paperback pages become brittle, while rag and cotton papers last for centuries.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the aged cream for page backgrounds, foxed tan for calls to action, edge brown for card accents, and ink dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Craft spirits, coffee roasters, barbershops, record labels.

Colors That Pair Well With Aged Paper

Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.

blue

directly opposite #C8B490 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #C8B490 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Aged Paper Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8B490 for small UI elements on #E8DCC0 — at 1.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #4E4432 — 7.0:1 against #E8DCC0 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #A08A64 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8B490.

How to Implement the Aged Paper Color Scheme

To use this Aged Paper color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.

Option 1: CSS Variables

:root { 
  /* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'}  --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'}  --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'}  --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'}  --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}

Web Design Tip

Use #E8DCC0 for the main background and #C8B490 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #4E4432 and #E8DCC0 is 7.02:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Aged Paper Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Aged Paper color palette?

The Aged Paper palette contains #E8DCC0, #C8B490, #A08A64, #4E4432. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.

Is the Aged Paper color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #4E4432 on #E8DCC0 reaches 7.0:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.

What colors go well with the Aged Paper palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #8EA2C7, #B9BF97, #171512 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.

What mood does the Aged Paper palette create?

Aged Paper reads as vintage, warm, mono. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Aged Paper color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Aged Paper palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.

How do I add the Aged Paper palette to Tailwind or CSS?

Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Aged Paper's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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