#C8C8C4
#8E8E8A
#54544F
#262624
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Concrete Grey Color Palette

#C8C8C4 · #8E8E8A · #54544F · #262624

AAA
WCAG Grade
9.0:1
Contrast Ratio
1,082
Saves
3,117
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #C8C8C4 as the background. Use #8E8E8A as the primary accent. Use #54544F as secondary. Use #262624 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Concrete Grey — mono, moody, cool, vintage.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Concrete Grey 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: 57.6%
200, 200, 196 0%, 0%, 2%, 22% 60°, 4%, 78%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 26.9%
142, 142, 138 0%, 0%, 3%, 44% 60°, 2%, 55%
Secondary
Luminance: 8.8%
84, 84, 79 0%, 0%, 6%, 67% 60°, 3%, 32%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.9%
38, 38, 36 0%, 0%, 5%, 85% 60°, 3%, 15%

Concrete Grey 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 Concrete Grey palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#C8C8C4 neutral gray
#8E8E8A neutral gray
#54544F neutral gray
#262624 neutral gray

Concrete Grey 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
#262624 on #C8C8C4
Aa Sample Text
9.04:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8C8C4 on #262624
Aa Sample Text
9.04:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#262624 on #8E8E8A
Aa Sample Text
4.61:1 AA Body text, UI
#8E8E8A on #262624
Aa Sample Text
4.61:1 AA Body text, UI
#54544F on #C8C8C4
Aa Sample Text
4.54:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8C8C4 on #54544F
Aa Sample Text
4.54:1 AA Body text, UI
#54544F on #8E8E8A
Aa Sample Text
2.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E8A on #54544F
Aa Sample Text
2.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#262624 on #54544F
Aa Sample Text
1.99:1 Fail Decorative use only
#54544F on #262624
Aa Sample Text
1.99:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E8A on #C8C8C4
Aa Sample Text
1.96:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8C8C4 on #8E8E8A
Aa Sample Text
1.96:1 Fail Decorative use only

Concrete Grey Color Psychology & Meaning

Concrete grey varies with the mix, the aggregate and the weather, so no two pours are exactly the same colour, and this palette is concrete light with concrete dark. It feels modern and honest, the color of a wall that shows how it was made.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Concrete Grey 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

Concrete colour depends on the cement, sand and aggregate used, and its surface records the formwork it was poured against; this is why exposed concrete facades show seams and grain rather than a uniform tone.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the concrete light for page backgrounds, concrete mid for calls to action, concrete dark for card accents, and shadow concrete for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Editorial design, architecture studios, type foundries, agencies.

Colors That Pair Well With Concrete Grey

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 #8E8E8A on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #8E8E8A — 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 Concrete Grey Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8E8E8A for small UI elements on #C8C8C4 — at 2.0:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #262624 — 9.0:1 against #C8C8C4 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #54544F carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #8E8E8A.

How to Implement the Concrete Grey Color Scheme

To use this Concrete Grey 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 #C8C8C4 for the main background and #8E8E8A for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #262624 and #C8C8C4 is 9.04:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Concrete Grey Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Concrete Grey color palette?

The Concrete Grey palette contains #C8C8C4, #8E8E8A, #54544F, #262624. 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 Concrete Grey color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #262624 on #C8C8C4 reaches 9.0:1 (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 Concrete Grey palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #8A8A8F, #8C9881, #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 Concrete Grey palette create?

Concrete Grey reads as mono, moody, cool. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Concrete Grey color palette commercially?

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

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