#E1E2E1 · #9B9D9E · #5B5E60 · #17191B
Use #E1E2E1 as the background. Use #9B9D9E as the primary accent. Use #5B5E60 as secondary. Use #17191B as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Sharkskin — vintage, mono, cool, moody, royal.
Technical breakdown for the Sharkskin 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: 75.8% | 225, 226, 225 | 0%, 0%, 0%, 11% | 120°, 2%, 88% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 33.6% | 155, 157, 158 | 2%, 1%, 0%, 38% | 200°, 2%, 61% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 11.1% | 91, 94, 96 | 5%, 2%, 0%, 62% | 204°, 3%, 37% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 1.0% | 23, 25, 27 | 15%, 7%, 0%, 89% | 210°, 8%, 10% |
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 Sharkskin palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #17191B on #E1E2E1 |
Aa Sample Text
| 13.57:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E1E2E1 on #17191B |
Aa Sample Text
| 13.57:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #17191B on #9B9D9E |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.47:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #9B9D9E on #17191B |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.47:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5B5E60 on #E1E2E1 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.03:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #E1E2E1 on #5B5E60 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.03:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #17191B on #5B5E60 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.70:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5B5E60 on #17191B |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.70:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5B5E60 on #9B9D9E |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.40:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #9B9D9E on #5B5E60 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.40:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #9B9D9E on #E1E2E1 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.10:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E1E2E1 on #9B9D9E |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.10:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The Sharkskin palette is built using a custom relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
A custom palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
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 #9B9D9E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #9B9D9E — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
To use this Sharkskin 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.
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Use #E1E2E1 for the main background and #9B9D9E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #17191B and #E1E2E1 is 13.57:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The Sharkskin palette contains #E1E2E1, #9B9D9E, #5B5E60, #17191B. 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.
Yes for its strongest pairings: #17191B on #E1E2E1 reaches 13.6:1 (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.
Beyond its own four colors, #9E9B9A, #9295A5, #141514 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.
Sharkskin reads as vintage, mono, cool. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Sharkskin palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Sharkskin's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.