#6E4E30
#C8A84E
#E8D8B0
#2E2418
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Old Radio Color Palette

#6E4E30 · #C8A84E · #E8D8B0 · #2E2418

Fail
WCAG Grade
2.0:1
Contrast Ratio
997
Saves
2,325
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #6E4E30 as the background. Use #C8A84E as the primary accent. Use #E8D8B0 as secondary. Use #2E2418 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Old Radio — vintage, warm, earthy, royal.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Old Radio 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: 9.0%
110, 78, 48 0%, 29%, 56%, 57% 29°, 39%, 31%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 40.8%
200, 168, 78 0%, 16%, 61%, 22% 44°, 53%, 55%
Secondary
Luminance: 69.4%
232, 216, 176 0%, 7%, 24%, 9% 43°, 55%, 80%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.9%
46, 36, 24 0%, 22%, 48%, 82% 33°, 31%, 14%

Old Radio 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 Old Radio palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#6E4E30 gently saturated orange
#C8A84E gently saturated orange
#E8D8B0 gently saturated orange
#2E2418 gently saturated orange

Old Radio 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
#2E2418 on #E8D8B0
Aa Sample Text
10.77:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E8D8B0 on #2E2418
Aa Sample Text
10.77:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#2E2418 on #C8A84E
Aa Sample Text
6.63:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8A84E on #2E2418
Aa Sample Text
6.63:1 AA Body text, UI
#E8D8B0 on #6E4E30
Aa Sample Text
5.32:1 AA Body text, UI
#6E4E30 on #E8D8B0
Aa Sample Text
5.32:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8A84E on #6E4E30
Aa Sample Text
3.28:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#6E4E30 on #C8A84E
Aa Sample Text
3.28:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E2418 on #6E4E30
Aa Sample Text
2.02:1 Fail Decorative use only
#6E4E30 on #2E2418
Aa Sample Text
2.02:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8D8B0 on #C8A84E
Aa Sample Text
1.62:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8A84E on #E8D8B0
Aa Sample Text
1.62:1 Fail Decorative use only

Old Radio Color Psychology & Meaning

A valve radio is a wooden cabinet with a lit dial and a cloth grille, so the colour comes from furniture rather than electronics, and this palette is walnut cabinet with dial cream. It feels solid and warm, the color of a dial that glows in a dim room.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Old Radio 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

Early radios were built like furniture because they were expected to sit in a living room, and the walnut or mahogany cabinet and backlit dial remained standard until plastic cases took over in the 1950s.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the walnut cabinet for large surfaces, dial gold for links and buttons, dial cream for fine details, and grille dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Vintage fashion, thrift and resale, antiques, interiors.

Colors That Pair Well With Old Radio

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 #C8A84E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #C8A84E — 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 Old Radio Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Use #C8A84E for buttons and links — it scores 3.3:1 against the #6E4E30 background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
  • Don't set body copy in #2E2418 on #6E4E30 — 2.0:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #E8D8B0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Old Radio Color Scheme

To use this Old Radio 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 #6E4E30 for the main background and #C8A84E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E2418 and #6E4E30 is 2.02:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Old Radio Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Old Radio color palette?

The Old Radio palette contains #6E4E30, #C8A84E, #E8D8B0, #2E2418. 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 Old Radio color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E2418 on #E8D8B0 reaches 10.8:1 (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 Old Radio palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #4F70C9, #A7BE5B, #EFEDEB 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 Old Radio palette create?

Old Radio reads as vintage, warm, earthy. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Old Radio color palette commercially?

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

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