#5C3A24
#8E5C34
#C8A878
#1E0E06
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Lapsang Souchong Color Palette

#5C3A24 · #8E5C34 · #C8A878 · #1E0E06

Fail
WCAG Grade
1.9:1
Contrast Ratio
880
Saves
2,370
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #5C3A24 as the background. Use #8E5C34 as the primary accent. Use #C8A878 as secondary. Use #1E0E06 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Lapsang Souchong — smoky, bold, distinctive.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Lapsang Souchong 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: 5.4%
92, 58, 36 0%, 37%, 61%, 64% 24°, 44%, 25%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 13.7%
142, 92, 52 0%, 35%, 63%, 44% 27°, 46%, 38%
Secondary
Luminance: 41.6%
200, 168, 120 0%, 16%, 40%, 22% 36°, 42%, 63%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.6%
30, 14, 6 0%, 53%, 80%, 88% 20°, 67%, 7%

Lapsang Souchong 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 Lapsang Souchong palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#5C3A24 gently saturated orange
#8E5C34 gently saturated orange
#C8A878 gently saturated orange
#1E0E06 saturated orange

Lapsang Souchong 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
#1E0E06 on #C8A878
Aa Sample Text
8.32:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8A878 on #1E0E06
Aa Sample Text
8.32:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8A878 on #5C3A24
Aa Sample Text
4.47:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5C3A24 on #C8A878
Aa Sample Text
4.47:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#1E0E06 on #8E5C34
Aa Sample Text
3.33:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E5C34 on #1E0E06
Aa Sample Text
3.33:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8A878 on #8E5C34
Aa Sample Text
2.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E5C34 on #C8A878
Aa Sample Text
2.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#1E0E06 on #5C3A24
Aa Sample Text
1.86:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C3A24 on #1E0E06
Aa Sample Text
1.86:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E5C34 on #5C3A24
Aa Sample Text
1.79:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C3A24 on #8E5C34
Aa Sample Text
1.79:1 Fail Decorative use only

Lapsang Souchong Color Psychology & Meaning

Lapsang souchong is black tea dried over pinewood fires, brewing a deep amber cup with a pronounced smoky aroma, and this palette is that dark, resinous brown with warm highlights. It feels bold and distinctive, the color of a tea that divides opinions and defines memories.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Lapsang Souchong 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

Lapsang souchong originated in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian in the 1700s, when tea drying over pine fires created the smoky style by necessity. It was one of the first teas exported to Europe and remains the most smoked of all teas.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the dark brown for bold surfaces, the smoky tones for accents, and the warm cream for text contrast. The near-black grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Tea brands, smoked food pairings, luxury tea, hospitality, grocery.

Colors That Pair Well With Lapsang Souchong

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.

cyan-blue

directly opposite #8E5C34 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #8E5C34 — 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 Lapsang Souchong Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8E5C34 for small UI elements on #5C3A24 — at 1.8:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #1E0E06 on #5C3A24 — 1.9:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #C8A878 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Lapsang Souchong Color Scheme

To use this Lapsang Souchong 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 #5C3A24 for the main background and #8E5C34 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1E0E06 and #5C3A24 is 1.86:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Lapsang Souchong Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Lapsang Souchong color palette?

The Lapsang Souchong palette contains #5C3A24, #8E5C34, #C8A878, #1E0E06. 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 Lapsang Souchong color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1E0E06 on #C8A878 reaches 8.3:1 (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 Lapsang Souchong palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #34658D, #84803E, #EFEDEB 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 Lapsang Souchong palette create?

Lapsang Souchong reads as smoky, bold, distinctive. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Lapsang Souchong color palette commercially?

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

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