#C83030 · #2A5AA8 · #1A1A1A · #E8E0D0
Use #C83030 as the background. Use #2A5AA8 as the primary accent. Use #1A1A1A as secondary. Use #E8E0D0 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: London Underground — iconic, bold, heritage.
Technical breakdown for the London Underground 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: 14.6% | 200, 48, 48 | 0%, 76%, 76%, 22% | 0°, 61%, 49% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 10.6% | 42, 90, 168 | 75%, 46%, 0%, 34% | 217°, 60%, 41% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 1.0% | 26, 26, 26 | 0%, 0%, 0%, 90% | 0°, 0%, 10% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 75.0% | 232, 224, 208 | 0%, 3%, 10%, 9% | 40°, 34%, 86% |
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 London Underground palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #E8E0D0 on #1A1A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 13.26:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1A1A1A on #E8E0D0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 13.26:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E8E0D0 on #2A5AA8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.12:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #2A5AA8 on #E8E0D0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.12:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #E8E0D0 on #C83030 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.08:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #C83030 on #E8E0D0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.08:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #1A1A1A on #C83030 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.25:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #C83030 on #1A1A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.25:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #1A1A1A on #2A5AA8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.59:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2A5AA8 on #1A1A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.59:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2A5AA8 on #C83030 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.25:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C83030 on #2A5AA8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.25:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The London Underground 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.
A split-complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
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.
directly opposite #2A5AA8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #2A5AA8 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
To use this London Underground 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.
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Use #C83030 for the main background and #2A5AA8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #E8E0D0 and #C83030 is 4.08:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The London Underground palette contains #C83030, #2A5AA8, #1A1A1A, #E8E0D0. 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.
Yes for its strongest pairings: #E8E0D0 on #1A1A1A reaches 13.3:1 (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.
Beyond its own four colors, #A7772A, #40349D, #F0EAEA 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.
London Underground reads as iconic, bold, heritage. Gently saturated blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated red — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the London Underground palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from London Underground's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.