#E0E0DC · #A8A8A2 · #5A5A56 · #2A2A28
Use #E0E0DC as the background. Use #A8A8A2 as the primary accent. Use #5A5A56 as secondary. Use #2A2A28 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Ash Grey Tones — mono, moody, cool, vintage.
Technical breakdown for the Ash Grey Tones 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: 74.3% | 224, 224, 220 | 0%, 0%, 2%, 12% | 60°, 6%, 87% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 38.9% | 168, 168, 162 | 0%, 0%, 4%, 34% | 60°, 3%, 65% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 10.2% | 90, 90, 86 | 0%, 0%, 4%, 65% | 60°, 2%, 35% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 2.3% | 42, 42, 40 | 0%, 0%, 5%, 84% | 60°, 2%, 16% |
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 Ash Grey Tones palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2A2A28 on #E0E0DC |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.86:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E0E0DC on #2A2A28 |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.86:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #2A2A28 on #A8A8A2 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.02:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #A8A8A2 on #2A2A28 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.02:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5A5A56 on #E0E0DC |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.23:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #E0E0DC on #5A5A56 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.23:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5A5A56 on #A8A8A2 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.90:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #A8A8A2 on #5A5A56 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.90:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2A2A28 on #5A5A56 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.08:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5A5A56 on #2A2A28 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.08:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #A8A8A2 on #E0E0DC |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.81:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E0E0DC on #A8A8A2 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.81:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The Ash Grey Tones 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.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
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.
directly opposite #A8A8A2 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #A8A8A2 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
To use this Ash Grey Tones 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.
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Use #E0E0DC for the main background and #A8A8A2 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #2A2A28 and #E0E0DC is 10.86:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The Ash Grey Tones palette contains #E0E0DC, #A8A8A2, #5A5A56, #2A2A28. 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.
Yes for its strongest pairings: #2A2A28 on #E0E0DC reaches 10.9:1 (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.
Beyond its own four colors, #A3A3A8, #A6AF9D, #151514 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.
Ash Grey Tones reads as mono, moody, cool. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Ash Grey Tones palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Ash Grey Tones's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.