Long Island City Color Palette
#8EA8B8 · #C8D8E0 · #C8A85C · #1E2E3A
Use #8EA8B8 as the background. Use #C8D8E0 as the primary accent. Use #C8A85C as secondary. Use #1E2E3A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Long Island City — waterfront, modern, industrial.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Long Island City 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: 37.2% | 142, 168, 184 | 23%, 9%, 0%, 28% | 203°, 23%, 64% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 66.8% | 200, 216, 224 | 11%, 4%, 0%, 12% | 200°, 28%, 83% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 41.1% | 200, 168, 92 | 0%, 16%, 54%, 22% | 42°, 50%, 57% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 2.5% | 30, 46, 58 | 48%, 21%, 0%, 77% | 206°, 32%, 17% |
Long Island City 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 Long Island City palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Long Island City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1E2E3A on #C8D8E0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.52:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #C8D8E0 on #1E2E3A |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.52:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1E2E3A on #C8A85C |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.11:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #C8A85C on #1E2E3A |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.11:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #1E2E3A on #8EA8B8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.60:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8EA8B8 on #1E2E3A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.60:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #C8D8E0 on #8EA8B8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.70:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8EA8B8 on #C8D8E0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.70:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8A85C on #C8D8E0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.56:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8D8E0 on #C8A85C |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.56:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8A85C on #8EA8B8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.09:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8EA8B8 on #C8A85C |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.09:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme
The Long Island City 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.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Long Island City
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 #C8D8E0 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #C8D8E0 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Long Island City Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #C8D8E0 for small UI elements on #8EA8B8 — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #1E2E3A — 5.6:1 against #8EA8B8 passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
- Don't use #C8A85C behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.
How to Implement the Long Island City Color Scheme
To use this Long Island City 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 #8EA8B8 for the main background and #C8D8E0 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #1E2E3A and #8EA8B8 is 5.60:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Long Island City Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Long Island City color palette?
The Long Island City palette contains #8EA8B8, #C8D8E0, #C8A85C, #1E2E3A. 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 Long Island City color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #1E2E3A on #C8D8E0 reaches 9.5:1 (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 Long Island City palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #C8AB9D, #CCCEDB, #131516 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 Long Island City palette create?
Long Island City reads as waterfront, modern, industrial. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by muted cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Long Island City color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Long Island City 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 Long Island City 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 Long Island City's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.