#DEDEDA
#969694
#555543
#17181A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Chain Mail Color Palette

#DEDEDA · #969694 · #555543 · #17181A

AAA
WCAG Grade
13.2:1
Contrast Ratio
723
Saves
2,231
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #DEDEDA as the background. Use #969694 as the primary accent. Use #555543 as secondary. Use #17181A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Chain Mail — royal, vintage, moody, mono, earthy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Chain Mail 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: 72.8%
222, 222, 218 0%, 0%, 2%, 13% 60°, 6%, 86%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 30.4%
150, 150, 148 0%, 0%, 1%, 41% 60°, 1%, 58%
Secondary
Luminance: 8.8%
85, 85, 67 0%, 0%, 21%, 67% 60°, 12%, 30%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.9%
23, 24, 26 12%, 8%, 0%, 90% 220°, 6%, 10%

Chain Mail 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 Chain Mail palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#DEDEDA neutral gray
#969694 neutral gray
#555543 muted yellow
#17181A neutral gray

Chain Mail 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
#17181A on #DEDEDA
Aa Sample Text
13.17:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#DEDEDA on #17181A
Aa Sample Text
13.17:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#17181A on #969694
Aa Sample Text
6.00:1 AA Body text, UI
#969694 on #17181A
Aa Sample Text
6.00:1 AA Body text, UI
#555543 on #DEDEDA
Aa Sample Text
5.63:1 AA Body text, UI
#DEDEDA on #555543
Aa Sample Text
5.63:1 AA Body text, UI
#555543 on #969694
Aa Sample Text
2.56:1 Fail Decorative use only
#969694 on #555543
Aa Sample Text
2.56:1 Fail Decorative use only
#17181A on #555543
Aa Sample Text
2.34:1 Fail Decorative use only
#555543 on #17181A
Aa Sample Text
2.34:1 Fail Decorative use only
#969694 on #DEDEDA
Aa Sample Text
2.20:1 Fail Decorative use only
#DEDEDA on #969694
Aa Sample Text
2.20:1 Fail Decorative use only

Chain Mail Color Psychology & Meaning

Chain mail is thousands of small identical decisions, and it moves like cloth because each ring is only as strong as the two it holds, and this palette is rivet pale with mail mid. It feels medieval and flexible, the color of a shirt that weighs as much as a child.

Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme

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

Hue Wheel

A split-complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

Riveted mail was assembled ring by ring and could take hundreds of hours to complete; the word mail comes from the Latin macula, meaning mesh of a net.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the rivet pale for wide surfaces, ring gray for buttons and links, mail mid for secondary details, and forge dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Design systems, developer tools, dashboards, technical documentation.

Colors That Pair Well With Chain Mail

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 #969694 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #969694 — 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 Chain Mail Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #969694 for small UI elements on #DEDEDA — at 2.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #17181A — 13.2:1 against #DEDEDA passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #555543 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #969694.

How to Implement the Chain Mail Color Scheme

To use this Chain Mail 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 #DEDEDA for the main background and #969694 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #17181A and #DEDEDA is 13.17:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Chain Mail Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Chain Mail color palette?

The Chain Mail palette contains #DEDEDA, #969694, #555543, #17181A. 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 Chain Mail color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #17181A on #DEDEDA reaches 13.2:1 (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 Chain Mail palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #939395, #949F89, #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 Chain Mail palette create?

Chain Mail reads as royal, vintage, moody. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Chain Mail color palette commercially?

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

Similar Palettes

Live Preview
Generate Similar ✦
Skip to content