#8E5C3A
#C8A880
#5C3A2E
#2E1406
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Charon Red Color Palette

#8E5C3A · #C8A880 · #5C3A2E · #2E1406

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.1:1
Contrast Ratio
940
Saves
2,510
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #8E5C3A as the background. Use #C8A880 as the primary accent. Use #5C3A2E as secondary. Use #2E1406 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Charon Red — charon, red, pluto.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Charon Red 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: 13.7%
142, 92, 58 0%, 35%, 59%, 44% 24°, 42%, 39%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 41.8%
200, 168, 128 0%, 16%, 36%, 22% 33°, 40%, 64%
Secondary
Luminance: 5.5%
92, 58, 46 0%, 37%, 50%, 64% 16°, 33%, 27%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.1%
46, 20, 6 0%, 57%, 87%, 82% 21°, 77%, 10%

Charon Red 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 Charon Red palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#8E5C3A gently saturated orange
#C8A880 gently saturated orange
#5C3A2E gently saturated orange
#2E1406 saturated orange

Charon Red 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
#2E1406 on #C8A880
Aa Sample Text
7.69:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8A880 on #2E1406
Aa Sample Text
7.69:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#5C3A2E on #C8A880
Aa Sample Text
4.46:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8A880 on #5C3A2E
Aa Sample Text
4.46:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E1406 on #8E5C3A
Aa Sample Text
3.07:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E5C3A on #2E1406
Aa Sample Text
3.07:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8A880 on #8E5C3A
Aa Sample Text
2.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E5C3A on #C8A880
Aa Sample Text
2.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C3A2E on #8E5C3A
Aa Sample Text
1.78:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E5C3A on #5C3A2E
Aa Sample Text
1.78:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E1406 on #5C3A2E
Aa Sample Text
1.72:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C3A2E on #2E1406
Aa Sample Text
1.72:1 Fail Decorative use only

Charon Red Color Psychology & Meaning

Charon is the great moon of Pluto, its north pole stained red by tholins from Plutos atmosphere, and this palette is pole red with ice gold. It feels paired and mysterious, the color of a world that paints itself with the color of its partner.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Charon Red 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

Charon, discovered in 1978, is so large relative to Pluto that the pair are often called a double dwarf planet; New Horizons revealed its red north pole, Mordor Macula, coated in organic material from Pluto.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the pole red for the macula, ice gold for the surface, umber for shadows, and deep brown for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Space science, astronomy, education, exploration.

Colors That Pair Well With Charon Red

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 #C8A880 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #C8A880 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Charon Red Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8A880 for small UI elements on #8E5C3A — at 2.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #2E1406 on #8E5C3A — 3.1:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #5C3A2E carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8A880.

How to Implement the Charon Red Color Scheme

To use this Charon Red 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 #8E5C3A for the main background and #C8A880 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E1406 and #8E5C3A is 3.07:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Charon Red Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Charon Red color palette?

The Charon Red palette contains #8E5C3A, #C8A880, #5C3A2E, #2E1406. 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 Charon Red color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E1406 on #C8A880 reaches 7.7:1 (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 Charon Red palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #7EA0C8, #BCBF88, #EFEDEB 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 Charon Red palette create?

Charon Red reads as charon, red, pluto. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Charon Red color palette commercially?

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

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