#DCE4EC
#A8B8C8
#5E7288
#222E3C
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Blueprint Grey Color Palette

#DCE4EC · #A8B8C8 · #5E7288 · #222E3C

AAA
WCAG Grade
10.7:1
Contrast Ratio
970
Saves
2,544
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #DCE4EC as the background. Use #A8B8C8 as the primary accent. Use #5E7288 as secondary. Use #222E3C as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Blueprint Grey — mono, cool, vintage, ocean.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Blueprint Grey 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: 76.8%
220, 228, 236 7%, 3%, 0%, 7% 210°, 30%, 89%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 46.8%
168, 184, 200 16%, 8%, 0%, 22% 210°, 23%, 72%
Secondary
Luminance: 16.2%
94, 114, 136 31%, 16%, 0%, 47% 211°, 18%, 45%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.6%
34, 46, 60 43%, 23%, 0%, 76% 212°, 28%, 18%

Blueprint Grey 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 Blueprint Grey palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#DCE4EC gently saturated cyan-blue
#A8B8C8 muted cyan-blue
#5E7288 muted cyan-blue
#222E3C gently saturated cyan-blue

Blueprint Grey 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
#222E3C on #DCE4EC
Aa Sample Text
10.73:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#DCE4EC on #222E3C
Aa Sample Text
10.73:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#222E3C on #A8B8C8
Aa Sample Text
6.79:1 AA Body text, UI
#A8B8C8 on #222E3C
Aa Sample Text
6.79:1 AA Body text, UI
#5E7288 on #DCE4EC
Aa Sample Text
3.86:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#DCE4EC on #5E7288
Aa Sample Text
3.86:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#222E3C on #5E7288
Aa Sample Text
2.78:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E7288 on #222E3C
Aa Sample Text
2.78:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E7288 on #A8B8C8
Aa Sample Text
2.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A8B8C8 on #5E7288
Aa Sample Text
2.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A8B8C8 on #DCE4EC
Aa Sample Text
1.58:1 Fail Decorative use only
#DCE4EC on #A8B8C8
Aa Sample Text
1.58:1 Fail Decorative use only

Blueprint Grey Color Psychology & Meaning

A blueprint is a cyanotype copy with white lines on a blue ground, and the tone of that blue is one of the most recognisable in engineering, and this palette is blueprint pale with blueprint dark. It feels technical and historic, the color of a drawing that smells of ammonia.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Blueprint Grey 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

The blueprint process, invented in 1842, used light-sensitive iron salts to produce white lines on a Prussian blue background; it was replaced by diazo printing in the mid twentieth century but the name survives for any technical drawing.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the blueprint pale for large surfaces, blueprint mid for links and buttons, blueprint dark for fine details, and blueprint deep for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Fashion editorials, art galleries, museums, publishing.

Colors That Pair Well With Blueprint Grey

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.

orange

directly opposite #A8B8C8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #A8B8C8 — 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 Blueprint Grey Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #A8B8C8 for small UI elements on #DCE4EC — at 1.6:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #222E3C — 10.7:1 against #DCE4EC passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #5E7288 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #A8B8C8.

How to Implement the Blueprint Grey Color Scheme

To use this Blueprint Grey 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 #DCE4EC for the main background and #A8B8C8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #222E3C and #DCE4EC is 10.73:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Blueprint Grey Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Blueprint Grey color palette?

The Blueprint Grey palette contains #DCE4EC, #A8B8C8, #5E7288, #222E3C. 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 Blueprint Grey color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #222E3C on #DCE4EC reaches 10.7:1 (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 Blueprint Grey palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #C4B3A1, #AEAEC1, #131416 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 Blueprint Grey palette create?

Blueprint Grey reads as mono, cool, vintage. Muted cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Blueprint Grey color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Blueprint Grey 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 Blueprint Grey 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 Blueprint Grey's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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