#D8B078
#E8C898
#F0E0C0
#3A2A12
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Smoked Gouda Color Palette

#D8B078 · #E8C898 · #F0E0C0 · #3A2A12

AA
WCAG Grade
6.8:1
Contrast Ratio
800
Saves
2,150
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #D8B078 as the background. Use #E8C898 as the primary accent. Use #F0E0C0 as secondary. Use #3A2A12 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Smoked Gouda — smoky, warm, rich.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Smoked Gouda 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: 47.0%
216, 176, 120 0%, 19%, 44%, 15% 35°, 55%, 66%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 60.7%
232, 200, 152 0%, 14%, 34%, 9% 36°, 63%, 75%
Secondary
Luminance: 75.6%
240, 224, 192 0%, 7%, 20%, 6% 40°, 62%, 85%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.6%
58, 42, 18 0%, 28%, 69%, 77% 36°, 53%, 15%

Smoked Gouda 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 Smoked Gouda palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#D8B078 gently saturated orange
#E8C898 gently saturated orange
#F0E0C0 gently saturated orange
#3A2A12 gently saturated orange

Smoked Gouda 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
#3A2A12 on #F0E0C0
Aa Sample Text
10.61:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#F0E0C0 on #3A2A12
Aa Sample Text
10.61:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3A2A12 on #E8C898
Aa Sample Text
8.65:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E8C898 on #3A2A12
Aa Sample Text
8.65:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3A2A12 on #D8B078
Aa Sample Text
6.84:1 AA Body text, UI
#D8B078 on #3A2A12
Aa Sample Text
6.84:1 AA Body text, UI
#F0E0C0 on #D8B078
Aa Sample Text
1.55:1 Fail Decorative use only
#D8B078 on #F0E0C0
Aa Sample Text
1.55:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8C898 on #D8B078
Aa Sample Text
1.26:1 Fail Decorative use only
#D8B078 on #E8C898
Aa Sample Text
1.26:1 Fail Decorative use only
#F0E0C0 on #E8C898
Aa Sample Text
1.23:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8C898 on #F0E0C0
Aa Sample Text
1.23:1 Fail Decorative use only

Smoked Gouda Color Psychology & Meaning

Smoked gouda is the golden Dutch cheese with a caramel note and a campfire finish, and this palette is its amber interior against the dark rind. It feels warm and savory, the color of a cheese board that anchors a gathering.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Smoked Gouda 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

Gouda is named for the Dutch town where it has been traded since the Middle Ages, and smoking became a way to preserve and flavor it. The modern smoked gouda with its mahogany rind is a beloved export of the Netherlands.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the golden amber for warm surfaces, the honey for accents, and the cream for text contrast. The deep brown grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Cheese brands, delis, Dutch food, gourmet retail, catering.

Colors That Pair Well With Smoked Gouda

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 #E8C898 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #E8C898 — 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 Smoked Gouda Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #E8C898 for small UI elements on #D8B078 — at 1.3:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #3A2A12 — 6.8:1 against #D8B078 passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
  • Don't use #F0E0C0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Smoked Gouda Color Scheme

To use this Smoked Gouda 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 #D8B078 for the main background and #E8C898 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #3A2A12 and #D8B078 is 6.84:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Smoked Gouda Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Smoked Gouda color palette?

The Smoked Gouda palette contains #D8B078, #E8C898, #F0E0C0, #3A2A12. 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 Smoked Gouda color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #3A2A12 on #F0E0C0 reaches 10.6:1 (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 Smoked Gouda palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #82A9E3, #DAE19D, #171512 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 Smoked Gouda palette create?

Smoked Gouda reads as smoky, warm, rich. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Smoked Gouda color palette commercially?

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

Similar Palettes

Live Preview
Generate Similar ✦
Skip to content