#EDEDE8
#B0B0A8
#5E5E58
#151512
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Ink Wash Color Palette

#EDEDE8 · #B0B0A8 · #5E5E58 · #151512

AAA
WCAG Grade
15.6:1
Contrast Ratio
1,068
Saves
2,966
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #EDEDE8 as the background. Use #B0B0A8 as the primary accent. Use #5E5E58 as secondary. Use #151512 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Ink Wash — mono, vintage, moody, forest.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Ink Wash 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: 84.4%
237, 237, 232 0%, 0%, 2%, 7% 60°, 12%, 92%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 43.1%
176, 176, 168 0%, 0%, 5%, 31% 60°, 5%, 67%
Secondary
Luminance: 11.1%
94, 94, 88 0%, 0%, 6%, 63% 60°, 3%, 36%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.7%
21, 21, 18 0%, 0%, 14%, 92% 60°, 8%, 8%

Ink Wash 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 Ink Wash palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#EDEDE8 muted yellow
#B0B0A8 neutral gray
#5E5E58 neutral gray
#151512 muted yellow

Ink Wash 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
#151512 on #EDEDE8
Aa Sample Text
15.58:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EDEDE8 on #151512
Aa Sample Text
15.58:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#151512 on #B0B0A8
Aa Sample Text
8.38:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#B0B0A8 on #151512
Aa Sample Text
8.38:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#5E5E58 on #EDEDE8
Aa Sample Text
5.56:1 AA Body text, UI
#EDEDE8 on #5E5E58
Aa Sample Text
5.56:1 AA Body text, UI
#5E5E58 on #B0B0A8
Aa Sample Text
2.99:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B0B0A8 on #5E5E58
Aa Sample Text
2.99:1 Fail Decorative use only
#151512 on #5E5E58
Aa Sample Text
2.80:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E5E58 on #151512
Aa Sample Text
2.80:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B0B0A8 on #EDEDE8
Aa Sample Text
1.86:1 Fail Decorative use only
#EDEDE8 on #B0B0A8
Aa Sample Text
1.86:1 Fail Decorative use only

Ink Wash Color Psychology & Meaning

Ink wash painting uses one ink at different dilutions, so an entire landscape is built from a single substance, and this palette is rice paper with mid wash. It feels fluid and contemplative, the color of a mountain made of water and soot.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Ink Wash 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

Ink wash, or sumi-e, was developed in China and refined in Japan, and its discipline rests on controlling the water content of the brush rather than the amount of pigment.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the rice paper for backgrounds, dilute ink for primary actions, mid wash for highlights, and ink black for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Luxury minimalism, tech hardware, premium packaging, photography.

Colors That Pair Well With Ink Wash

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 #B0B0A8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #B0B0A8 — 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 Ink Wash Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #B0B0A8 for small UI elements on #EDEDE8 — at 1.9:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #151512 — 15.6:1 against #EDEDE8 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #5E5E58 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #B0B0A8.

How to Implement the Ink Wash Color Scheme

To use this Ink Wash 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 #EDEDE8 for the main background and #B0B0A8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #151512 and #EDEDE8 is 15.58:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Ink Wash Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Ink Wash color palette?

The Ink Wash palette contains #EDEDE8, #B0B0A8, #5E5E58, #151512. 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 Ink Wash color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #151512 on #EDEDE8 reaches 15.6:1 (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 Ink Wash palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #A7A7AF, #ABB3A2, #151514 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 Ink Wash palette create?

Ink Wash reads as mono, vintage, moody. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by muted yellow — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Ink Wash color palette commercially?

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

Similar Palettes

Live Preview
Generate Similar ✦
Skip to content