#1E3A6E
#8E1E2E
#D8B860
#0E0E12
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Heraldic Color Palette

#1E3A6E · #8E1E2E · #D8B860 · #0E0E12

Fail
WCAG Grade
1.7:1
Contrast Ratio
879
Saves
3,014
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #1E3A6E as the background. Use #8E1E2E as the primary accent. Use #D8B860 as secondary. Use #0E0E12 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Heraldic — royal, vintage, moody, mono.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Heraldic 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: 4.4%
30, 58, 110 73%, 47%, 0%, 57% 219°, 57%, 27%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 6.9%
142, 30, 46 0%, 79%, 68%, 44% 351°, 65%, 34%
Secondary
Luminance: 49.7%
216, 184, 96 0%, 15%, 56%, 15% 44°, 61%, 61%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.5%
14, 14, 18 22%, 22%, 0%, 93% 240°, 13%, 6%

Heraldic 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 Heraldic palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#1E3A6E gently saturated blue
#8E1E2E saturated rose-red
#D8B860 gently saturated orange
#0E0E12 muted blue

Heraldic 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
#0E0E12 on #D8B860
Aa Sample Text
10.04:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#D8B860 on #0E0E12
Aa Sample Text
10.04:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#D8B860 on #1E3A6E
Aa Sample Text
5.80:1 AA Body text, UI
#1E3A6E on #D8B860
Aa Sample Text
5.80:1 AA Body text, UI
#D8B860 on #8E1E2E
Aa Sample Text
4.61:1 AA Body text, UI
#8E1E2E on #D8B860
Aa Sample Text
4.61:1 AA Body text, UI
#0E0E12 on #8E1E2E
Aa Sample Text
2.18:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E1E2E on #0E0E12
Aa Sample Text
2.18:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0E0E12 on #1E3A6E
Aa Sample Text
1.73:1 Fail Decorative use only
#1E3A6E on #0E0E12
Aa Sample Text
1.73:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E1E2E on #1E3A6E
Aa Sample Text
1.26:1 Fail Decorative use only
#1E3A6E on #8E1E2E
Aa Sample Text
1.26:1 Fail Decorative use only

Heraldic Color Psychology & Meaning

Heraldry uses a small fixed set of tinctures — azure, gules, or, sable — so that a coat of arms is readable at a distance, and this palette is heraldic azure with heraldic or. It feels formal and coded, the color of colour used as grammar.

Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme

The Heraldic palette is built using a triadic relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A triadic palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

Heraldic tinctures were standardised in medieval Europe, and the rule of tincture forbids placing a colour on a colour or a metal on a metal, which is why arms are built from contrast rather than harmony.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the heraldic azure for backgrounds, heraldic gules for primary actions, heraldic or for highlights, and heraldic sable for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Luxury goods, jewellery, private banking, premium spirits.

Colors That Pair Well With Heraldic

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.

teal

directly opposite #8E1E2E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

orange

30° beside #8E1E2E — 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 Heraldic Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8E1E2E for small UI elements on #1E3A6E — at 1.3:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #0E0E12 on #1E3A6E — 1.7:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #D8B860 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Heraldic Color Scheme

To use this Heraldic 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 #1E3A6E for the main background and #8E1E2E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #0E0E12 and #1E3A6E is 1.73:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Heraldic Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Heraldic color palette?

The Heraldic palette contains #1E3A6E, #8E1E2E, #D8B860, #0E0E12. 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 Heraldic color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #0E0E12 on #D8B860 reaches 10.0:1 (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 Heraldic palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #1F9382, #864827, #EBECF0 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 Heraldic palette create?

Heraldic reads as royal, vintage, moody. Saturated rose-red drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated blue — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Heraldic color palette commercially?

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

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