#5E8A8A
#8AA8A0
#C8B89A
#1E3038
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Rockpool Tide Color Palette

#5E8A8A · #8AA8A0 · #C8B89A · #1E3038

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.6:1
Contrast Ratio
743
Saves
1,631
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #5E8A8A as the background. Use #8AA8A0 as the primary accent. Use #C8B89A as secondary. Use #1E3038 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Rockpool Tide — ocean, cool, earthy, moody.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Rockpool Tide 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: 22.4%
94, 138, 138 32%, 0%, 0%, 46% 180°, 19%, 45%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 35.9%
138, 168, 160 18%, 0%, 5%, 34% 164°, 15%, 60%
Secondary
Luminance: 48.9%
200, 184, 154 0%, 8%, 23%, 22% 39°, 29%, 69%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.7%
30, 48, 56 46%, 14%, 0%, 78% 198°, 30%, 17%

Rockpool Tide 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 Rockpool Tide palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#5E8A8A muted teal
#8AA8A0 muted teal
#C8B89A gently saturated orange
#1E3038 gently saturated cyan-blue

Rockpool Tide 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
#1E3038 on #C8B89A
Aa Sample Text
7.02:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8B89A on #1E3038
Aa Sample Text
7.02:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#1E3038 on #8AA8A0
Aa Sample Text
5.33:1 AA Body text, UI
#8AA8A0 on #1E3038
Aa Sample Text
5.33:1 AA Body text, UI
#1E3038 on #5E8A8A
Aa Sample Text
3.57:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5E8A8A on #1E3038
Aa Sample Text
3.57:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8B89A on #5E8A8A
Aa Sample Text
1.97:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E8A8A on #C8B89A
Aa Sample Text
1.97:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8AA8A0 on #5E8A8A
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E8A8A on #8AA8A0
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B89A on #8AA8A0
Aa Sample Text
1.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8AA8A0 on #C8B89A
Aa Sample Text
1.32:1 Fail Decorative use only

Rockpool Tide Color Psychology & Meaning

A rockpool at low tide holds a miniature sea in a stone basin, with anemones, crabs and weed left behind by the water, and this palette is pool green-blue with rock tan. It feels small and complete, the color of an ocean you can kneel beside.

Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme

The Rockpool Tide 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

Rockpools are among the harshest marine habitats because the water inside them swings wildly in temperature, salinity and oxygen between tides, and the creatures that live there are adapted to all of it.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the pool green-blue for hero surfaces, algae grey-green for interactive elements, rock tan for accents, and pool dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Travel and marine tourism, sailing, coastal hospitality, diving.

Colors That Pair Well With Rockpool Tide

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.

rose-red

directly opposite #8AA8A0 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

cyan-blue

30° beside #8AA8A0 — 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 Rockpool Tide Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8AA8A0 for small UI elements on #5E8A8A — at 1.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #1E3038 on #5E8A8A — 3.6:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #C8B89A behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Rockpool Tide Color Scheme

To use this Rockpool Tide 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 #5E8A8A for the main background and #8AA8A0 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1E3038 and #5E8A8A is 3.57:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Rockpool Tide Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Rockpool Tide color palette?

The Rockpool Tide palette contains #5E8A8A, #8AA8A0, #C8B89A, #1E3038. 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 Rockpool Tide color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1E3038 on #C8B89A reaches 7.0:1 (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 Rockpool Tide palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #A88A92, #8F9EA3, #ECEEEE 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 Rockpool Tide palette create?

Rockpool Tide reads as ocean, cool, earthy. Muted teal drives the personality, grounded by muted teal — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Rockpool Tide color palette commercially?

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

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