#C8E0D0
#2E7E6E
#14503E
#0A2820
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Kelp Teal Color Palette

#C8E0D0 · #2E7E6E · #14503E · #0A2820

AAA
WCAG Grade
11.2:1
Contrast Ratio
810
Saves
1,895
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #C8E0D0 as the background. Use #2E7E6E as the primary accent. Use #14503E as secondary. Use #0A2820 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Kelp Teal — ocean, forest, cool, earthy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Kelp Teal 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: 70.1%
200, 224, 208 11%, 0%, 7%, 12% 140°, 28%, 83%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 16.6%
46, 126, 110 63%, 0%, 13%, 51% 168°, 47%, 34%
Secondary
Luminance: 6.2%
20, 80, 62 75%, 0%, 22%, 69% 162°, 60%, 20%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.7%
10, 40, 32 75%, 0%, 20%, 84% 164°, 60%, 10%

Kelp Teal 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 Kelp Teal palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#C8E0D0 gently saturated green
#2E7E6E gently saturated teal
#14503E gently saturated teal
#0A2820 gently saturated teal

Kelp Teal 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
#0A2820 on #C8E0D0
Aa Sample Text
11.24:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8E0D0 on #0A2820
Aa Sample Text
11.24:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#14503E on #C8E0D0
Aa Sample Text
6.69:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8E0D0 on #14503E
Aa Sample Text
6.69:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E7E6E on #C8E0D0
Aa Sample Text
3.47:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8E0D0 on #2E7E6E
Aa Sample Text
3.47:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#0A2820 on #2E7E6E
Aa Sample Text
3.23:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E7E6E on #0A2820
Aa Sample Text
3.23:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#14503E on #2E7E6E
Aa Sample Text
1.93:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E7E6E on #14503E
Aa Sample Text
1.93:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0A2820 on #14503E
Aa Sample Text
1.68:1 Fail Decorative use only
#14503E on #0A2820
Aa Sample Text
1.68:1 Fail Decorative use only

Kelp Teal Color Psychology & Meaning

Kelp underwater turns the sea around it brown-green and teal at the same time, depending on whether you look up or down, and this palette is light through water with frond deep. It feels sheltered and alive, the color of a forest that moves with the swell.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Kelp Teal 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

Kelp absorbs blue light and reflects green, so water inside a kelp forest looks green from above and dark teal from below, an effect that changes entirely with depth and direction.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the light through water for backgrounds, kelp teal for primary actions, frond deep for highlights, and holdfast dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Coastal hospitality, spas and wellness brands, boutique travel, artisan ceramics.

Colors That Pair Well With Kelp Teal

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.

rose-red

directly opposite #2E7E6E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

cyan-blue

30° beside #2E7E6E — 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 Kelp Teal Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Use #2E7E6E for buttons and links — it scores 3.5:1 against the #C8E0D0 background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
  • Set body text in #0A2820 — 11.2:1 against #C8E0D0 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #14503E carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a deep lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #2E7E6E.

How to Implement the Kelp Teal Color Scheme

To use this Kelp Teal 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 #C8E0D0 for the main background and #2E7E6E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #0A2820 and #C8E0D0 is 11.24:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Kelp Teal Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Kelp Teal color palette?

The Kelp Teal palette contains #C8E0D0, #2E7E6E, #14503E, #0A2820. 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 Kelp Teal color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #0A2820 on #C8E0D0 reaches 11.2:1 (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 Kelp Teal palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #832F40, #376477, #131614 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 Kelp Teal palette create?

Kelp Teal reads as ocean, forest, cool. Gently saturated teal drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated green — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Kelp Teal color palette commercially?

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

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