New Wave Synth Color Psychology & Meaning
New wave synth is the 1980s synthesizer sound made visual — these specific pinks, purples, and teals are the colors of album covers from an era when synthesizers were exotic and the future felt close.
#0A001A
#FF00AA
#AA00FF
#00FFCC
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
New Wave Synth Color Palette
#0A001A · #FF00AA · #AA00FF · #00FFCC
AAA
WCAG Grade
15.7:1
Contrast Ratio
2,300
Saves
6,200
AI Copies
Use #0A001A as the background. Use #FF00AA as the primary accent. Use #AA00FF as secondary. Use #00FFCC as body text. Palette: New Wave Synth.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the New Wave Synth 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: 0.1% | 10, 0, 26 | 62%, 100%, 0%, 90% | 263°, 100%, 5% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 24.2% | 255, 0, 170 | 0%, 100%, 33%, 0% | 320°, 100%, 50% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 15.8% | 170, 0, 255 | 33%, 100%, 0%, 0% | 280°, 100%, 50% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 75.9% | 0, 255, 204 | 100%, 0%, 20%, 0% | 168°, 100%, 50% |
New Wave Synth 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 New Wave Synth palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#0A001A saturated violet
#FF00AA saturated magenta
#AA00FF saturated violet
#00FFCC saturated teal
New Wave Synth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #00FFCC on #0A001A |
Aa Sample Text
| 15.74:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #0A001A on #00FFCC |
Aa Sample Text
| 15.74:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FF00AA on #0A001A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.67:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #0A001A on #FF00AA |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.67:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #AA00FF on #0A001A |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.04:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #0A001A on #AA00FF |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.04:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #00FFCC on #AA00FF |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.89:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #AA00FF on #00FFCC |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.89:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #00FFCC on #FF00AA |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.77:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #FF00AA on #00FFCC |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.77:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #AA00FF on #FF00AA |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.40:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #FF00AA on #AA00FF |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.40:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme
The New Wave Synth 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.
Hue Wheel
A split-complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
History & Design Context
New wave music (1978-1988) created a distinctive visual vocabulary through album artwork, music videos, and fashion. Artists like Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, and New Order defined the aesthetic.
Best Design Use Cases
Very dark purple-black for backgrounds. Hot pink for primary elements. Violet for secondary. Cyan-mint for tertiary. Gradient where possible.
Industries This Palette Suits
Music, retro fashion, 80s nostalgia, electronic brands, creative agencies.
Colors That Pair Well With New Wave Synth
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.
green
directly opposite #FF00AA on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
rose-red
30° beside #FF00AA — 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 New Wave Synth Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #FF00AA for buttons and links — it scores 5.7:1 against the #0A001A background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #00FFCC — 15.7:1 against #0A001A passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #AA00FF carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #FF00AA.
How to Implement the New Wave Synth Color Scheme
To use this New Wave Synth 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 #0A001A for the main background and #FF00AA for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #00FFCC and #0A001A is 15.74:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
New Wave Synth Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the New Wave Synth color palette?
The New Wave Synth palette contains #0A001A, #FF00AA, #AA00FF, #00FFCC. 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 New Wave Synth color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #00FFCC on #0A001A reaches 15.7:1 (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 New Wave Synth palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #00FF55, #F20D33, #ECE9F2 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 New Wave Synth palette create?
New Wave Synth reads as dark, synth, retro. Saturated magenta drives the personality, grounded by saturated violet — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the New Wave Synth color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the New Wave Synth 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 New Wave Synth 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 New Wave Synth's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.