#D2D6DA
#9AA0A8
#5A6068
#22262C
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Cold Graphite Color Palette

#D2D6DA · #9AA0A8 · #5A6068 · #22262C

AAA
WCAG Grade
10.4:1
Contrast Ratio
731
Saves
2,990
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #D2D6DA as the background. Use #9AA0A8 as the primary accent. Use #5A6068 as secondary. Use #22262C as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Cold Graphite — mono, cool, moody, night.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Cold Graphite 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: 66.9%
210, 214, 218 4%, 2%, 0%, 15% 210°, 10%, 84%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 34.8%
154, 160, 168 8%, 5%, 0%, 34% 214°, 7%, 63%
Secondary
Luminance: 11.5%
90, 96, 104 13%, 8%, 0%, 59% 214°, 7%, 38%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.9%
34, 38, 44 23%, 14%, 0%, 83% 216°, 13%, 15%

Cold Graphite 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 Cold Graphite palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#D2D6DA muted cyan-blue
#9AA0A8 neutral gray
#5A6068 neutral gray
#22262C muted blue

Cold Graphite 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
#22262C on #D2D6DA
Aa Sample Text
10.40:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#D2D6DA on #22262C
Aa Sample Text
10.40:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#22262C on #9AA0A8
Aa Sample Text
5.77:1 AA Body text, UI
#9AA0A8 on #22262C
Aa Sample Text
5.77:1 AA Body text, UI
#5A6068 on #D2D6DA
Aa Sample Text
4.34:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#D2D6DA on #5A6068
Aa Sample Text
4.34:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5A6068 on #9AA0A8
Aa Sample Text
2.41:1 Fail Decorative use only
#9AA0A8 on #5A6068
Aa Sample Text
2.41:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22262C on #5A6068
Aa Sample Text
2.39:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5A6068 on #22262C
Aa Sample Text
2.39:1 Fail Decorative use only
#9AA0A8 on #D2D6DA
Aa Sample Text
1.80:1 Fail Decorative use only
#D2D6DA on #9AA0A8
Aa Sample Text
1.80:1 Fail Decorative use only

Cold Graphite Color Psychology & Meaning

Cold graphite is a neutral pushed toward blue, and it appears in metal finishes, software interfaces and overcast photography, and this palette is graphite pale with graphite deep. It feels technical and sharp, the color of a surface that looks manufactured.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Cold Graphite 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

Most dark greys read slightly warm or cool depending on the surrounding light and colours, and cool greys are used in interfaces because they separate well from warm skin tones in video calls.

Best Design Use Cases

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

Industries This Palette Suits

Editorial design, architecture studios, type foundries, agencies.

Colors That Pair Well With Cold Graphite

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 #9AA0A8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #9AA0A8 — 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 Cold Graphite Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #9AA0A8 for small UI elements on #D2D6DA — at 1.8:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #22262C — 10.4:1 against #D2D6DA passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #5A6068 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #9AA0A8.

How to Implement the Cold Graphite Color Scheme

To use this Cold Graphite 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 #D2D6DA for the main background and #9AA0A8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #22262C and #D2D6DA is 10.40:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Cold Graphite Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Cold Graphite color palette?

The Cold Graphite palette contains #D2D6DA, #9AA0A8, #5A6068, #22262C. 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 Cold Graphite color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #22262C on #D2D6DA reaches 10.4:1 (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 Cold Graphite palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #A7A29A, #9897AA, #141415 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 Cold Graphite palette create?

Cold Graphite reads as mono, cool, moody. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by muted cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Cold Graphite color palette commercially?

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

Similar Palettes

Live Preview
Generate Similar ✦
Skip to content