Coal Smoke Color Palette
#3A3836 · #565250 · #7A7470 · #1E1C1A
Use #3A3836 as the background. Use #565250 as the primary accent. Use #7A7470 as secondary. Use #1E1C1A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Coal Smoke — moody, mono, vintage, night.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Coal Smoke 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: 4.0% | 58, 56, 54 | 0%, 3%, 7%, 77% | 30°, 4%, 22% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 8.6% | 86, 82, 80 | 0%, 5%, 7%, 66% | 20°, 4%, 33% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 17.8% | 122, 116, 112 | 0%, 5%, 8%, 52% | 24°, 4%, 46% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 1.2% | 30, 28, 26 | 0%, 7%, 13%, 88% | 30°, 7%, 11% |
Coal Smoke 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 Coal Smoke palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Coal Smoke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1E1C1A on #7A7470 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.69:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #7A7470 on #1E1C1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.69:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #7A7470 on #3A3836 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.53:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A3836 on #7A7470 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.53:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1E1C1A on #565250 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.20:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #565250 on #1E1C1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.20:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #7A7470 on #565250 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.68:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #565250 on #7A7470 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.68:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #565250 on #3A3836 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.51:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A3836 on #565250 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.51:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1E1C1A on #3A3836 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.46:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A3836 on #1E1C1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.46:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Coal Smoke 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.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Coal Smoke
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 #565250 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #565250 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Coal Smoke Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #565250 for small UI elements on #3A3836 — at 1.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Don't set body copy in #1E1C1A on #3A3836 — 1.5:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
- Let #7A7470 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #565250.
How to Implement the Coal Smoke Color Scheme
To use this Coal Smoke 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 #3A3836 for the main background and #565250 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #1E1C1A and #3A3836 is 1.46:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Coal Smoke Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Coal Smoke color palette?
The Coal Smoke palette contains #3A3836, #565250, #7A7470, #1E1C1A. 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 Coal Smoke color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #1E1C1A on #7A7470 reaches 3.7:1 (Fail). 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 Coal Smoke palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #565A5D, #5D5A4C, #EEEDEC 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 Coal Smoke palette create?
Coal Smoke reads as moody, mono, vintage. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Coal Smoke color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Coal Smoke 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 Coal Smoke 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 Coal Smoke's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.