Goblin Market Color Psychology & Meaning
Goblin market is the Pre-Raphaelite painting of Christina Rossetti's poem — dark background, gold-green fruit, and the specific moral weight of beautiful things that may be dangerous.
#1A1A0A
#3A4A0A
#8B8A20
#D4D090
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Goblin Market Color Palette
#1A1A0A · #3A4A0A · #8B8A20 · #D4D090
AAA
WCAG Grade
11.1:1
Contrast Ratio
1,700
Saves
4,600
AI Copies
Use #1A1A0A as the background. Use #3A4A0A as the primary accent. Use #8B8A20 as secondary. Use #D4D090 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Goblin Market — dark, earthy, fantastical.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Goblin Market 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: 1.0% | 26, 26, 10 | 0%, 0%, 62%, 90% | 60°, 44%, 7% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 5.8% | 58, 74, 10 | 22%, 0%, 86%, 71% | 75°, 76%, 16% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 23.8% | 139, 138, 32 | 0%, 1%, 77%, 45% | 59°, 63%, 34% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 61.1% | 212, 208, 144 | 0%, 2%, 32%, 17% | 56°, 44%, 70% |
Goblin Market 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 Goblin Market palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#1A1A0A gently saturated yellow
#3A4A0A saturated yellow-green
#8B8A20 gently saturated yellow
#D4D090 gently saturated yellow
Goblin Market 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #D4D090 on #1A1A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.06:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1A1A0A on #D4D090 |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.06:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #D4D090 on #3A4A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.11:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #3A4A0A on #D4D090 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.11:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8B8A20 on #1A1A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.81:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #1A1A0A on #8B8A20 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.81:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8B8A20 on #3A4A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.66:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A4A0A on #8B8A20 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.66:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #D4D090 on #8B8A20 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.30:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8B8A20 on #D4D090 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.30:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A4A0A on #1A1A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.81:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1A1A0A on #3A4A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.81:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Goblin Market 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
Christina Rossetti's 1862 poem 'Goblin Market' has been extensively illustrated. The associated aesthetic draws from Pre-Raphaelite painting's rich colors and the Victorian interest in fairy tales as allegory.
Best Design Use Cases
Dark olive-black for backgrounds. Deep mossy green for surfaces. Gold-green for accent and interactive elements. Light ochre for text on dark.
Industries This Palette Suits
Alternative brands, poetry and literature brands, pre-Raphaelite aesthetics, fairy tale brands.
Colors That Pair Well With Goblin Market
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.
violet
directly opposite #3A4A0A on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
green
30° beside #3A4A0A — 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 Goblin Market Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #3A4A0A for small UI elements on #1A1A0A — at 1.8:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #D4D090 — 11.1:1 against #1A1A0A passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #8B8A20 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #3A4A0A.
How to Implement the Goblin Market Color Scheme
To use this Goblin Market 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 #1A1A0A for the main background and #3A4A0A for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #D4D090 and #1A1A0A is 11.06:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Goblin Market Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Goblin Market color palette?
The Goblin Market palette contains #1A1A0A, #3A4A0A, #8B8A20, #D4D090. 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 Goblin Market color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #D4D090 on #1A1A0A reaches 11.1:1 (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 Goblin Market palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #37159D, #1B440E, #EFEFEB 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 Goblin Market palette create?
Goblin Market reads as dark, earthy, fantastical. Saturated yellow-green drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated yellow — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Goblin Market color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Goblin Market 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 Goblin Market 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 Goblin Market's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.