#EAEAE6
#ADADA9
#6C6C69
#1D1D1C
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Nickel Silver Color Palette

#EAEAE6 · #ADADA9 · #6C6C69 · #1D1D1C

AAA
WCAG Grade
14.0:1
Contrast Ratio
921
Saves
1,600
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #EAEAE6 as the background. Use #ADADA9 as the primary accent. Use #6C6C69 as secondary. Use #1D1D1C as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Nickel Silver — mono, cool, vintage, royal.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Nickel Silver 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: 82.1%
234, 234, 230 0%, 0%, 2%, 8% 60°, 9%, 91%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 41.6%
173, 173, 169 0%, 0%, 2%, 32% 60°, 2%, 67%
Secondary
Luminance: 14.9%
108, 108, 105 0%, 0%, 3%, 58% 60°, 1%, 42%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.2%
29, 29, 28 0%, 0%, 3%, 89% 60°, 2%, 11%

Nickel Silver 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 Nickel Silver palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#EAEAE6 muted yellow
#ADADA9 neutral gray
#6C6C69 neutral gray
#1D1D1C neutral gray

Nickel Silver 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
#1D1D1C on #EAEAE6
Aa Sample Text
13.99:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EAEAE6 on #1D1D1C
Aa Sample Text
13.99:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#1D1D1C on #ADADA9
Aa Sample Text
7.49:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#ADADA9 on #1D1D1C
Aa Sample Text
7.49:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#6C6C69 on #EAEAE6
Aa Sample Text
4.37:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#EAEAE6 on #6C6C69
Aa Sample Text
4.37:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#1D1D1C on #6C6C69
Aa Sample Text
3.20:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#6C6C69 on #1D1D1C
Aa Sample Text
3.20:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#6C6C69 on #ADADA9
Aa Sample Text
2.34:1 Fail Decorative use only
#ADADA9 on #6C6C69
Aa Sample Text
2.34:1 Fail Decorative use only
#ADADA9 on #EAEAE6
Aa Sample Text
1.87:1 Fail Decorative use only
#EAEAE6 on #ADADA9
Aa Sample Text
1.87:1 Fail Decorative use only

Nickel Silver Color Psychology & Meaning

Nickel silver contains no silver at all, a fact the name has been quietly concealing since German metalworkers invented it in the eighteenth century, and this palette is bright pale with rolled mid. It feels deceptive and bright, the color of a coin before it wears down.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Nickel Silver 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

Nickel silver is copper with nickel and zinc; it wears to a dull grey rather than green, which made it useful for cutlery, coins and instrument strings.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the bright pale for page backgrounds, nickel gray for calls to action, rolled mid for card accents, and stamp dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Design systems, developer tools, dashboards, technical documentation.

Colors That Pair Well With Nickel Silver

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 #ADADA9 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #ADADA9 — 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 Nickel Silver Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #ADADA9 for small UI elements on #EAEAE6 — at 1.9:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #1D1D1C — 14.0:1 against #EAEAE6 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #6C6C69 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #ADADA9.

How to Implement the Nickel Silver Color Scheme

To use this Nickel Silver 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 #EAEAE6 for the main background and #ADADA9 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1D1D1C and #EAEAE6 is 13.99:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Nickel Silver Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Nickel Silver color palette?

The Nickel Silver palette contains #EAEAE6, #ADADA9, #6C6C69, #1D1D1C. 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 Nickel Silver color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1D1D1C on #EAEAE6 reaches 14.0:1 (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.

What colors go well with the Nickel Silver palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #A9A9AD, #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 Nickel Silver palette create?

Nickel Silver reads as mono, cool, vintage. 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 Nickel Silver color palette commercially?

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

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