#8E5C3A
#C8905C
#E8D0A8
#241206
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Pho Bo Color Palette

#8E5C3A · #C8905C · #E8D0A8 · #241206

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.2:1
Contrast Ratio
1,050
Saves
2,840
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #8E5C3A as the background. Use #C8905C as the primary accent. Use #E8D0A8 as secondary. Use #241206 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Pho Bo — comforting, warm, aromatic.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Pho Bo 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: 13.7%
142, 92, 58 0%, 35%, 59%, 44% 24°, 42%, 39%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 33.0%
200, 144, 92 0%, 28%, 54%, 22% 29°, 50%, 57%
Secondary
Luminance: 65.1%
232, 208, 168 0%, 10%, 28%, 9% 38°, 58%, 78%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.8%
36, 18, 6 0%, 50%, 83%, 86% 24°, 71%, 8%

Pho Bo 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 Pho Bo palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#8E5C3A gently saturated orange
#C8905C gently saturated orange
#E8D0A8 gently saturated orange
#241206 saturated orange

Pho Bo 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
#241206 on #E8D0A8
Aa Sample Text
12.04:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E8D0A8 on #241206
Aa Sample Text
12.04:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#241206 on #C8905C
Aa Sample Text
6.53:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8905C on #241206
Aa Sample Text
6.53:1 AA Body text, UI
#E8D0A8 on #8E5C3A
Aa Sample Text
3.75:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E5C3A on #E8D0A8
Aa Sample Text
3.75:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#241206 on #8E5C3A
Aa Sample Text
3.21:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E5C3A on #241206
Aa Sample Text
3.21:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8905C on #8E5C3A
Aa Sample Text
2.03:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E5C3A on #C8905C
Aa Sample Text
2.03:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8D0A8 on #C8905C
Aa Sample Text
1.84:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8905C on #E8D0A8
Aa Sample Text
1.84:1 Fail Decorative use only

Pho Bo Color Psychology & Meaning

Pho bo is the beef noodle soup of Vietnam, with a clear golden broth fragrant with star anise and charred ginger, and this palette is that warm broth color with pale rice noodles. It feels comforting and restorative, the color of a bowl that heals a long day.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Pho Bo 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

Pho emerged in northern Vietnam in the early 1900s, influenced by French beef consumption and Chinese noodle traditions, and it spread south after 1954. It became Vietnams national dish and a global comfort food with devoted followings.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the broth brown for warm surfaces, the golden tones for accents, and the pale cream for text contrast. The deep brown grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Vietnamese restaurants, noodle brands, comfort food, food delivery, hospitality.

Colors That Pair Well With Pho Bo

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 #C8905C on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #C8905C — 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 Pho Bo Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8905C for small UI elements on #8E5C3A — at 2.0:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #241206 on #8E5C3A — 3.2:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #E8D0A8 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Pho Bo Color Scheme

To use this Pho Bo 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 #8E5C3A for the main background and #C8905C for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #241206 and #8E5C3A is 3.21:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Pho Bo Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Pho Bo color palette?

The Pho Bo palette contains #8E5C3A, #C8905C, #E8D0A8, #241206. 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 Pho Bo color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #241206 on #E8D0A8 reaches 12.0:1 (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 Pho Bo palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #5B93C8, #BDBC65, #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 Pho Bo palette create?

Pho Bo reads as comforting, warm, aromatic. 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 Pho Bo color palette commercially?

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

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