Sea Cave Color Palette
#2E5A62 · #16333E · #5E8A8A · #08161E
Use #2E5A62 as the background. Use #16333E as the primary accent. Use #5E8A8A as secondary. Use #08161E as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Sea Cave — ocean, moody, night, cool.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Sea Cave 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: 8.8% | 46, 90, 98 | 53%, 8%, 0%, 62% | 189°, 36%, 28% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 2.9% | 22, 51, 62 | 65%, 18%, 0%, 76% | 196°, 48%, 16% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 22.4% | 94, 138, 138 | 32%, 0%, 0%, 46% | 180°, 19%, 45% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 0.7% | 8, 22, 30 | 73%, 27%, 0%, 88% | 202°, 58%, 7% |
Sea Cave 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 Sea Cave palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Sea Cave 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #08161E on #5E8A8A |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.79:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5E8A8A on #08161E |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.79:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5E8A8A on #16333E |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.47:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #16333E on #5E8A8A |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.47:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #08161E on #2E5A62 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.41:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2E5A62 on #08161E |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.41:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5E8A8A on #2E5A62 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.99:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2E5A62 on #5E8A8A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.99:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #16333E on #2E5A62 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.75:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2E5A62 on #16333E |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.75:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #08161E on #16333E |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.38:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #16333E on #08161E |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.38:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Sea Cave 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 Sea Cave
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 #16333E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #16333E — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Sea Cave Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #16333E for small UI elements on #2E5A62 — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Don't set body copy in #08161E on #2E5A62 — 2.4:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
- Let #5E8A8A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #16333E.
How to Implement the Sea Cave Color Scheme
To use this Sea Cave 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 #2E5A62 for the main background and #16333E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #08161E and #2E5A62 is 2.41:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Sea Cave Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Sea Cave color palette?
The Sea Cave palette contains #2E5A62, #16333E, #5E8A8A, #08161E. 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 Sea Cave color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #08161E on #5E8A8A reaches 4.8:1 (AA). 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 Sea Cave palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #84452E, #192138, #ECEEEF 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 Sea Cave palette create?
Sea Cave reads as ocean, moody, night. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated teal — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Sea Cave color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Sea Cave 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 Sea Cave 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 Sea Cave's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.