#D8D8D4 · #9C9C98 · #565654 · #1C1C1A
Use #D8D8D4 as the background. Use #9C9C98 as the primary accent. Use #565654 as secondary. Use #1C1C1A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Monochrome City — mono, moody, cool, vintage.
Technical breakdown for the Monochrome 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: 68.5% | 216, 216, 212 | 0%, 0%, 2%, 15% | 60°, 5%, 84% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 33.1% | 156, 156, 152 | 0%, 0%, 3%, 39% | 60°, 2%, 60% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 9.3% | 86, 86, 84 | 0%, 0%, 2%, 66% | 60°, 1%, 33% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 1.2% | 28, 28, 26 | 0%, 0%, 7%, 89% | 60°, 4%, 11% |
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 Monochrome City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1C1C1A on #D8D8D4 |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.94:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #D8D8D4 on #1C1C1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.94:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1C1C1A on #9C9C98 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.20:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #9C9C98 on #1C1C1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.20:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #565654 on #D8D8D4 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.15:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #D8D8D4 on #565654 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.15:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #565654 on #9C9C98 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.67:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #9C9C98 on #565654 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.67:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1C1C1A on #565654 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.32:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #565654 on #1C1C1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.32:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #9C9C98 on #D8D8D4 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.93:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #D8D8D4 on #9C9C98 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.93:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The Monochrome City 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.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
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 #9C9C98 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #9C9C98 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
To use this Monochrome 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.
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Use #D8D8D4 for the main background and #9C9C98 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #1C1C1A and #D8D8D4 is 11.94:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The Monochrome City palette contains #D8D8D4, #9C9C98, #565654, #1C1C1A. 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: #1C1C1A on #D8D8D4 reaches 11.9:1 (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, #97979B, #99A38F, #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.
Monochrome City reads as mono, moody, cool. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Monochrome City 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 Monochrome City's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.