#EAEAE8
#9B9B99
#5F605E
#1D1E1E
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Pigeon Gray Color Palette

#EAEAE8 · #9B9B99 · #5F605E · #1D1E1E

AAA
WCAG Grade
13.9:1
Contrast Ratio
892
Saves
2,338
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #EAEAE8 as the background. Use #9B9B99 as the primary accent. Use #5F605E as secondary. Use #1D1E1E as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Pigeon Gray — mono, cool, moody, vintage, earthy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Pigeon Gray 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: 82.2%
234, 234, 232 0%, 0%, 1%, 8% 60°, 5%, 91%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 32.7%
155, 155, 153 0%, 0%, 1%, 39% 60°, 1%, 60%
Secondary
Luminance: 11.6%
95, 96, 94 1%, 0%, 2%, 62% 90°, 1%, 37%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.3%
29, 30, 30 3%, 0%, 0%, 88% 180°, 2%, 12%

Pigeon Gray 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 Pigeon Gray palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#EAEAE8 neutral gray
#9B9B99 neutral gray
#5F605E neutral gray
#1D1E1E neutral gray

Pigeon Gray 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
#1D1E1E on #EAEAE8
Aa Sample Text
13.87:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EAEAE8 on #1D1E1E
Aa Sample Text
13.87:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#1D1E1E on #9B9B99
Aa Sample Text
6.00:1 AA Body text, UI
#9B9B99 on #1D1E1E
Aa Sample Text
6.00:1 AA Body text, UI
#5F605E on #EAEAE8
Aa Sample Text
5.25:1 AA Body text, UI
#EAEAE8 on #5F605E
Aa Sample Text
5.25:1 AA Body text, UI
#1D1E1E on #5F605E
Aa Sample Text
2.64:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5F605E on #1D1E1E
Aa Sample Text
2.64:1 Fail Decorative use only
#9B9B99 on #EAEAE8
Aa Sample Text
2.31:1 Fail Decorative use only
#EAEAE8 on #9B9B99
Aa Sample Text
2.31:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5F605E on #9B9B99
Aa Sample Text
2.27:1 Fail Decorative use only
#9B9B99 on #5F605E
Aa Sample Text
2.27:1 Fail Decorative use only

Pigeon Gray Color Psychology & Meaning

A city pigeon carries a dozen greys in one bird, from blue-grey to black barring, which is why nothing else matches an urban skyline as well, and this palette is city pale with wing bar. It feels ordinary and adaptable, the color of a bird that decided to stay.

Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme

The Pigeon Gray palette is built using a triadic relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A triadic palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

The feral pigeon descends from cliff-nesting rock doves, and its plumage is unusually variable because centuries of domestication scattered dozens of colour genes back into the wild population.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the city pale for page backgrounds, pigeon gray for calls to action, wing bar for card accents, and soot dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Interiors, furniture, ceramics, hardware and homeware product design.

Colors That Pair Well With Pigeon Gray

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 #9B9B99 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #9B9B99 — 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 Pigeon Gray Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #9B9B99 for small UI elements on #EAEAE8 — at 2.3:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #1D1E1E — 13.9:1 against #EAEAE8 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #5F605E carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #9B9B99.

How to Implement the Pigeon Gray Color Scheme

To use this Pigeon Gray 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 #EAEAE8 for the main background and #9B9B99 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1D1E1E and #EAEAE8 is 13.87:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Pigeon Gray Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Pigeon Gray color palette?

The Pigeon Gray palette contains #EAEAE8, #9B9B99, #5F605E, #1D1E1E. 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 Pigeon Gray color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1D1E1E on #EAEAE8 reaches 13.9:1 (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 Pigeon Gray palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #98989A, #99A38F, #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 Pigeon Gray palette create?

Pigeon Gray reads as mono, cool, moody. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Pigeon Gray color palette commercially?

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

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