#C8543C
#E8B84E
#3E7A9E
#2E3A2E
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Kodachrome Color Palette

#C8543C · #E8B84E · #3E7A9E · #2E3A2E

Fail
WCAG Grade
2.7:1
Contrast Ratio
1,049
Saves
2,727
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #C8543C as the background. Use #E8B84E as the primary accent. Use #3E7A9E as secondary. Use #2E3A2E as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Kodachrome — vintage, warm, sunset, candy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Kodachrome 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: 18.9%
200, 84, 60 0%, 58%, 70%, 22% 10°, 56%, 51%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 52.0%
232, 184, 78 0%, 21%, 66%, 9% 41°, 77%, 61%
Secondary
Luminance: 17.4%
62, 122, 158 61%, 23%, 0%, 38% 203°, 44%, 43%
Body Text
Luminance: 3.8%
46, 58, 46 21%, 0%, 21%, 77% 120°, 12%, 20%

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

#C8543C gently saturated red
#E8B84E saturated orange
#3E7A9E gently saturated cyan-blue
#2E3A2E muted green

Kodachrome 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
#2E3A2E on #E8B84E
Aa Sample Text
6.47:1 AA Body text, UI
#E8B84E on #2E3A2E
Aa Sample Text
6.47:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E3A2E on #C8543C
Aa Sample Text
2.72:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8543C on #2E3A2E
Aa Sample Text
2.72:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E3A2E on #3E7A9E
Aa Sample Text
2.55:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E7A9E on #2E3A2E
Aa Sample Text
2.55:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E7A9E on #E8B84E
Aa Sample Text
2.54:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8B84E on #3E7A9E
Aa Sample Text
2.54:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8B84E on #C8543C
Aa Sample Text
2.38:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8543C on #E8B84E
Aa Sample Text
2.38:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E7A9E on #C8543C
Aa Sample Text
1.07:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8543C on #3E7A9E
Aa Sample Text
1.07:1 Fail Decorative use only

Kodachrome Color Psychology & Meaning

Kodachrome film rendered reds and yellows with unusual warmth and held its dyes for decades, which is why mid-century colour photographs still look vivid, and this palette is kodachrome red with kodachrome blue. It feels nostalgic and rich, the color of a holiday photograph that has not faded.

Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme

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

Hue Wheel

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

History & Design Context

Kodachrome, introduced in 1935, used dye couplers added during processing rather than built into the film, which made it complex to develop but extremely stable; the last laboratory stopped processing it in 2010.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the kodachrome red for wide surfaces, kodachrome yellow for buttons and links, kodachrome blue for secondary details, and kodachrome green for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Craft spirits, coffee roasters, barbershops, record labels.

Colors That Pair Well With Kodachrome

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 #E8B84E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #E8B84E — 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 Kodachrome Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #E8B84E for small UI elements on #C8543C — at 2.4:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #2E3A2E on #C8543C — 2.7:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #3E7A9E carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #E8B84E.

How to Implement the Kodachrome Color Scheme

To use this Kodachrome 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 #C8543C for the main background and #E8B84E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E3A2E and #C8543C is 2.72:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Kodachrome Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Kodachrome color palette?

The Kodachrome palette contains #C8543C, #E8B84E, #3E7A9E, #2E3A2E. 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 Kodachrome color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E3A2E on #E8B84E reaches 6.5:1 (AA). 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 Kodachrome palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #4F7FE8, #C6DE59, #171212 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 Kodachrome palette create?

Kodachrome reads as vintage, warm, sunset. Saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated red — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Kodachrome color palette commercially?

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

Similar Palettes

Live Preview
Generate Similar ✦
Skip to content