Sauternes Honey Color Palette
#E8C878 · #F0D898 · #F8ECC8 · #4A360E
Use #E8C878 as the background. Use #F0D898 as the primary accent. Use #F8ECC8 as secondary. Use #4A360E as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Sauternes Honey — honeyed, luxurious, sweet.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Sauternes Honey 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: 59.8% | 232, 200, 120 | 0%, 14%, 48%, 9% | 43°, 71%, 69% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 69.9% | 240, 216, 152 | 0%, 10%, 37%, 6% | 44°, 75%, 77% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 84.1% | 248, 236, 200 | 0%, 5%, 19%, 3% | 45°, 77%, 88% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 4.1% | 74, 54, 14 | 0%, 27%, 81%, 71% | 40°, 68%, 17% |
Sauternes Honey 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 Sauternes Honey palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Sauternes Honey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4A360E on #F8ECC8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.77:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #F8ECC8 on #4A360E |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.77:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #4A360E on #F0D898 |
Aa Sample Text
| 8.21:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #F0D898 on #4A360E |
Aa Sample Text
| 8.21:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #4A360E on #E8C878 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.10:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E8C878 on #4A360E |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.10:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #F8ECC8 on #E8C878 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.37:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E8C878 on #F8ECC8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.37:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F8ECC8 on #F0D898 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.19:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F0D898 on #F8ECC8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.19:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F0D898 on #E8C878 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.16:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E8C878 on #F0D898 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.16:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Sauternes Honey 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.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Sauternes Honey
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.
directly opposite #F0D898 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #F0D898 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Sauternes Honey Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #F0D898 for small UI elements on #E8C878 — at 1.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #4A360E — 7.1:1 against #E8C878 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Don't use #F8ECC8 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.
How to Implement the Sauternes Honey Color Scheme
To use this Sauternes Honey 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 #E8C878 for the main background and #F0D898 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #4A360E and #E8C878 is 7.10:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Sauternes Honey Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Sauternes Honey color palette?
The Sauternes Honey palette contains #E8C878, #F0D898, #F8ECC8, #4A360E. 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 Sauternes Honey color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #4A360E on #F8ECC8 reaches 9.8:1 (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 Sauternes Honey palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #7998EC, #D9EA9E, #181611 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 Sauternes Honey palette create?
Sauternes Honey reads as honeyed, luxurious, sweet. Saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by saturated orange — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Sauternes Honey color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Sauternes Honey 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 Sauternes Honey 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 Sauternes Honey's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.