#E2E1DC
#A09F9A
#5E5E5A
#1A1A19
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Runway Color Palette

#E2E1DC · #A09F9A · #5E5E5A · #1A1A19

AAA
WCAG Grade
13.3:1
Contrast Ratio
760
Saves
1,980
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #E2E1DC as the background. Use #A09F9A as the primary accent. Use #5E5E5A as secondary. Use #1A1A19 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Runway — mono, cool, night, moody, vintage.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Runway 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: 75.2%
226, 225, 220 0%, 0%, 3%, 11% 50°, 9%, 87%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 34.6%
160, 159, 154 0%, 1%, 4%, 37% 50°, 3%, 62%
Secondary
Luminance: 11.1%
94, 94, 90 0%, 0%, 4%, 63% 60°, 2%, 36%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.0%
26, 26, 25 0%, 0%, 4%, 90% 60°, 2%, 10%

Runway 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 Runway palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#E2E1DC muted yellow
#A09F9A neutral gray
#5E5E5A neutral gray
#1A1A19 neutral gray

Runway 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
#1A1A19 on #E2E1DC
Aa Sample Text
13.30:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E2E1DC on #1A1A19
Aa Sample Text
13.30:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#1A1A19 on #A09F9A
Aa Sample Text
6.57:1 AA Body text, UI
#A09F9A on #1A1A19
Aa Sample Text
6.57:1 AA Body text, UI
#5E5E5A on #E2E1DC
Aa Sample Text
4.97:1 AA Body text, UI
#E2E1DC on #5E5E5A
Aa Sample Text
4.97:1 AA Body text, UI
#1A1A19 on #5E5E5A
Aa Sample Text
2.67:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E5E5A on #1A1A19
Aa Sample Text
2.67:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E5E5A on #A09F9A
Aa Sample Text
2.46:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A09F9A on #5E5E5A
Aa Sample Text
2.46:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A09F9A on #E2E1DC
Aa Sample Text
2.02:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E2E1DC on #A09F9A
Aa Sample Text
2.02:1 Fail Decorative use only

Runway Color Psychology & Meaning

A runway is grooved lengthwise so rain drains away instead of aquaplaning an aircraft, and those grooves are the reason its grey looks striped from the air, and this palette is marking pale with groove mid. It feels flat and purposeful, the color of a strip of light in the dark.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Runway 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

Runway grooving was introduced in the United States in the 1960s after friction tests showed that standing water caused the majority of landing overruns and veer-offs.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the marking pale for large surfaces, runway gray for links and buttons, groove mid for fine details, and tire dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

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

Colors That Pair Well With Runway

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 #A09F9A on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #A09F9A — 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 Runway Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #A09F9A for small UI elements on #E2E1DC — at 2.0:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #1A1A19 — 13.3:1 against #E2E1DC passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #5E5E5A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #A09F9A.

How to Implement the Runway Color Scheme

To use this Runway 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 #E2E1DC for the main background and #A09F9A for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1A1A19 and #E2E1DC is 13.30:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Runway Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Runway color palette?

The Runway palette contains #E2E1DC, #A09F9A, #5E5E5A, #1A1A19. 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 Runway color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1A1A19 on #E2E1DC reaches 13.3:1 (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 Runway palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #9B9CA1, #A1A894, #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 Runway palette create?

Runway reads as mono, cool, night. 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 Runway color palette commercially?

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

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