#E4E2DE · #B8B6B0 · #7A7872 · #3A3834
Use #E4E2DE as the background. Use #B8B6B0 as the primary accent. Use #7A7872 as secondary. Use #3A3834 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Neutral Tone — mono, warm, vintage, moody.
Technical breakdown for the Neutral Tone 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: 76.2% | 228, 226, 222 | 0%, 1%, 3%, 11% | 40°, 10%, 88% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 46.8% | 184, 182, 176 | 0%, 1%, 4%, 28% | 45°, 5%, 71% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 18.8% | 122, 120, 114 | 0%, 2%, 7%, 52% | 45°, 3%, 46% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 4.0% | 58, 56, 52 | 0%, 3%, 10%, 77% | 40°, 5%, 22% |
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 Neutral Tone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3A3834 on #E4E2DE |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.04:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E4E2DE on #3A3834 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.04:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #3A3834 on #B8B6B0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.77:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #B8B6B0 on #3A3834 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.77:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #7A7872 on #E4E2DE |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.41:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #E4E2DE on #7A7872 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.41:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #3A3834 on #7A7872 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.65:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #7A7872 on #3A3834 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.65:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #7A7872 on #B8B6B0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.18:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #B8B6B0 on #7A7872 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.18:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #B8B6B0 on #E4E2DE |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.57:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E4E2DE on #B8B6B0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.57:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The Neutral Tone 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 #B8B6B0 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #B8B6B0 — 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 Neutral Tone 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 #E4E2DE for the main background and #B8B6B0 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #3A3834 and #E4E2DE is 9.04:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The Neutral Tone palette contains #E4E2DE, #B8B6B0, #7A7872, #3A3834. 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: #3A3834 on #E4E2DE reaches 9.0:1 (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, #AFB1B6, #B9BCAE, #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.
Neutral Tone reads as mono, warm, vintage. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by muted orange — 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 Neutral Tone 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 Neutral Tone's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.