Moroccan Spice Color Psychology & Meaning
Moroccan spice is the palette of a Marrakech souk at midday — deep reds, warm oranges, and gold that come from centuries of dye trade, spice markets, and zellige tilework.
#1A0A00
#C85A00
#8B1A00
#F0C870
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Moroccan Spice Color Palette
#1A0A00 · #C85A00 · #8B1A00 · #F0C870
AAA
WCAG Grade
12.1:1
Contrast Ratio
2,200
Saves
5,900
AI Copies
Use #1A0A00 as the background. Use #C85A00 as the primary accent. Use #8B1A00 as secondary. Use #F0C870 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Moroccan Spice — warm, exotic, vibrant.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Moroccan Spice 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: 0.4% | 26, 10, 0 | 0%, 62%, 100%, 90% | 23°, 100%, 5% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 19.6% | 200, 90, 0 | 0%, 55%, 100%, 22% | 27°, 100%, 39% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 6.2% | 139, 26, 0 | 0%, 81%, 100%, 45% | 11°, 100%, 27% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 61.0% | 240, 200, 112 | 0%, 17%, 53%, 6% | 41°, 81%, 69% |
Moroccan Spice 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 Moroccan Spice palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#1A0A00 saturated orange
#C85A00 saturated orange
#8B1A00 saturated red
#F0C870 saturated orange
Moroccan Spice 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #F0C870 on #1A0A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 12.14:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1A0A00 on #F0C870 |
Aa Sample Text
| 12.14:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #F0C870 on #8B1A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.88:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8B1A00 on #F0C870 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.88:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #C85A00 on #1A0A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.52:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #1A0A00 on #C85A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.52:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #F0C870 on #C85A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.68:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C85A00 on #F0C870 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.68:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8B1A00 on #C85A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.19:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C85A00 on #8B1A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.19:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8B1A00 on #1A0A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.07:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1A0A00 on #8B1A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.07:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Moroccan Spice 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
Moroccan visual aesthetics draw from Berber, Arab, Andalusian, and sub-Saharan African influences. The warm red-orange-gold palette appears in zellige tiles, leather goods, and textile traditions.
Best Design Use Cases
Near-black for backgrounds. Deep warm red for primary surfaces. Orange for accent and interactive elements. Gold for highlights and decorative details.
Industries This Palette Suits
Moroccan brands, global travel, Middle Eastern products, spice brands, cultural institutions.
Colors That Pair Well With Moroccan Spice
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 #C85A00 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
yellow
30° beside #C85A00 — 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 Moroccan Spice Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #C85A00 for buttons and links — it scores 4.5:1 against the #1A0A00 background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #F0C870 — 12.1:1 against #1A0A00 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #8B1A00 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C85A00.
How to Implement the Moroccan Spice Color Scheme
To use this Moroccan Spice 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 #1A0A00 for the main background and #C85A00 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #F0C870 and #1A0A00 is 12.14:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Moroccan Spice Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Moroccan Spice color palette?
The Moroccan Spice palette contains #1A0A00, #C85A00, #8B1A00, #F0C870. 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 Moroccan Spice color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #F0C870 on #1A0A00 reaches 12.1:1 (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 Moroccan Spice palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #006DC7, #BDB40A, #F2ECE9 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 Moroccan Spice palette create?
Moroccan Spice reads as warm, exotic, vibrant. Saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by saturated orange — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Moroccan Spice color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Moroccan Spice 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 Moroccan Spice 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 Moroccan Spice's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.