#E5E2DC
#968F86
#57514A
#1A1714
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Cast Iron Color Palette

#E5E2DC · #968F86 · #57514A · #1A1714

AAA
WCAG Grade
13.8:1
Contrast Ratio
623
Saves
2,134
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #E5E2DC as the background. Use #968F86 as the primary accent. Use #57514A as secondary. Use #1A1714 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Cast Iron — earthy, warm, vintage, mono, moody.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Cast Iron 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: 76.2%
229, 226, 220 0%, 1%, 4%, 10% 40°, 15%, 88%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 27.9%
150, 143, 134 0%, 5%, 11%, 41% 34°, 7%, 56%
Secondary
Luminance: 8.4%
87, 81, 74 0%, 7%, 15%, 66% 32°, 8%, 32%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.9%
26, 23, 20 0%, 12%, 23%, 90% 30°, 13%, 9%

Cast Iron 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 Cast Iron palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#E5E2DC muted orange
#968F86 neutral gray
#57514A muted orange
#1A1714 muted orange

Cast Iron 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
#1A1714 on #E5E2DC
Aa Sample Text
13.81:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E5E2DC on #1A1714
Aa Sample Text
13.81:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#57514A on #E5E2DC
Aa Sample Text
6.06:1 AA Body text, UI
#E5E2DC on #57514A
Aa Sample Text
6.06:1 AA Body text, UI
#1A1714 on #968F86
Aa Sample Text
5.58:1 AA Body text, UI
#968F86 on #1A1714
Aa Sample Text
5.58:1 AA Body text, UI
#968F86 on #E5E2DC
Aa Sample Text
2.47:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E5E2DC on #968F86
Aa Sample Text
2.47:1 Fail Decorative use only
#57514A on #968F86
Aa Sample Text
2.45:1 Fail Decorative use only
#968F86 on #57514A
Aa Sample Text
2.45:1 Fail Decorative use only
#1A1714 on #57514A
Aa Sample Text
2.28:1 Fail Decorative use only
#57514A on #1A1714
Aa Sample Text
2.28:1 Fail Decorative use only

Cast Iron Color Psychology & Meaning

Cast iron comes out of the mould as a rough grey skin, and after years of oil it becomes a blacker, slicker, better version of itself, and this palette is enamel pale with seasoning mid. It feels heavy and enduring, the color of a pan that is older than the kitchen.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Cast Iron 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

Cast iron's carbon content makes it brittle and cheap to pour, which is why it built stoves, railings, drains and bridges through the nineteenth century.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the enamel pale for backgrounds, iron gray for primary actions, seasoning mid for highlights, and soot dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Interiors, furniture, ceramics, hardware and homeware product design.

Colors That Pair Well With Cast Iron

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.

cyan-blue

directly opposite #968F86 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #968F86 — 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 Cast Iron Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #968F86 for small UI elements on #E5E2DC — at 2.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #1A1714 — 13.8:1 against #E5E2DC passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #57514A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #968F86.

How to Implement the Cast Iron Color Scheme

To use this Cast Iron 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 #E5E2DC for the main background and #968F86 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1A1714 and #E5E2DC is 13.81:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Cast Iron Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Cast Iron color palette?

The Cast Iron palette contains #E5E2DC, #968F86, #57514A, #1A1714. 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 Cast Iron color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1A1714 on #E5E2DC reaches 13.8:1 (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 Cast Iron palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #878E97, #999A84, #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.

What mood does the Cast Iron palette create?

Cast Iron reads as earthy, warm, vintage. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by muted orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Cast Iron color palette commercially?

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

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