#F4F0E6
#C0BCB0
#4E4C46
#1A1A18
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Ivory and Charcoal Color Palette

#F4F0E6 · #C0BCB0 · #4E4C46 · #1A1A18

AAA
WCAG Grade
15.3:1
Contrast Ratio
728
Saves
2,072
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #F4F0E6 as the background. Use #C0BCB0 as the primary accent. Use #4E4C46 as secondary. Use #1A1A18 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Ivory and Charcoal — mono, warm, vintage, moody.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Ivory and Charcoal 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: 87.3%
244, 240, 230 0%, 2%, 6%, 4% 43°, 39%, 93%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 50.3%
192, 188, 176 0%, 2%, 8%, 25% 45°, 11%, 72%
Secondary
Luminance: 7.2%
78, 76, 70 0%, 3%, 10%, 69% 45°, 5%, 29%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.0%
26, 26, 24 0%, 0%, 8%, 90% 60°, 4%, 10%

Ivory and Charcoal 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 Ivory and Charcoal palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#F4F0E6 gently saturated orange
#C0BCB0 muted orange
#4E4C46 neutral gray
#1A1A18 neutral gray

Ivory and Charcoal 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
#1A1A18 on #F4F0E6
Aa Sample Text
15.32:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#F4F0E6 on #1A1A18
Aa Sample Text
15.32:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#1A1A18 on #C0BCB0
Aa Sample Text
9.18:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C0BCB0 on #1A1A18
Aa Sample Text
9.18:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#4E4C46 on #F4F0E6
Aa Sample Text
7.54:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#F4F0E6 on #4E4C46
Aa Sample Text
7.54:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#4E4C46 on #C0BCB0
Aa Sample Text
4.52:1 AA Body text, UI
#C0BCB0 on #4E4C46
Aa Sample Text
4.52:1 AA Body text, UI
#1A1A18 on #4E4C46
Aa Sample Text
2.03:1 Fail Decorative use only
#4E4C46 on #1A1A18
Aa Sample Text
2.03:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C0BCB0 on #F4F0E6
Aa Sample Text
1.67:1 Fail Decorative use only
#F4F0E6 on #C0BCB0
Aa Sample Text
1.67:1 Fail Decorative use only

Ivory and Charcoal Color Psychology & Meaning

Ivory and charcoal pair the warmest white with the coldest dark, which is why the combination feels both soft and severe, and this palette is ivory with charcoal. It feels elegant and restrained, the color of a gallery wall in low light.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Ivory and Charcoal 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

Ivory is a warm off-white named for elephant tusks, and it sits at a slightly yellow hue; pairing it with a neutral or cool charcoal keeps the warmth visible instead of reading as dirt.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the ivory for wide surfaces, bone grey for buttons and links, charcoal for secondary details, and charcoal dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Editorial design, architecture studios, type foundries, agencies.

Colors That Pair Well With Ivory and Charcoal

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 #C0BCB0 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #C0BCB0 — 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 Ivory and Charcoal Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C0BCB0 for small UI elements on #F4F0E6 — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #1A1A18 — 15.3:1 against #F4F0E6 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #4E4C46 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C0BCB0.

How to Implement the Ivory and Charcoal Color Scheme

To use this Ivory and Charcoal 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 #F4F0E6 for the main background and #C0BCB0 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1A1A18 and #F4F0E6 is 15.32:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Ivory and Charcoal Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Ivory and Charcoal color palette?

The Ivory and Charcoal palette contains #F4F0E6, #C0BCB0, #4E4C46, #1A1A18. 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 Ivory and Charcoal color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1A1A18 on #F4F0E6 reaches 15.3:1 (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 Ivory and Charcoal palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #AAAEBB, #BBBFB0, #161512 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 Ivory and Charcoal palette create?

Ivory and Charcoal reads as mono, warm, vintage. Muted orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Ivory and Charcoal color palette commercially?

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

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