Slack Color Psychology & Meaning
Slack's palette is deliberately unusual for enterprise software — a dark purple with three saturated accent colors. It says: work can be human and colorful.
#4A154B
#ECB22E
#36C5F0
#2EB67D
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Slack Color Palette
#4A154B · #ECB22E · #36C5F0 · #2EB67D
AA
WCAG Grade
5.4:1
Contrast Ratio
3,400
Saves
9,100
AI Copies
Use #4A154B as the background. Use #ECB22E as the primary accent. Use #36C5F0 as secondary. Use #2EB67D as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Slack — moody, vibrant.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Slack 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: 2.5% | 74, 21, 75 | 1%, 72%, 0%, 71% | 299°, 56%, 19% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 49.9% | 236, 178, 46 | 0%, 25%, 81%, 7% | 42°, 83%, 55% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 47.0% | 54, 197, 240 | 78%, 18%, 0%, 6% | 194°, 86%, 58% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 35.5% | 46, 182, 125 | 75%, 0%, 31%, 29% | 155°, 60%, 45% |
Slack 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 Slack palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#4A154B gently saturated magenta
#ECB22E saturated orange
#36C5F0 saturated cyan-blue
#2EB67D gently saturated teal
Slack 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #ECB22E on #4A154B |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.32:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #4A154B on #ECB22E |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.32:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #36C5F0 on #4A154B |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.93:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #4A154B on #36C5F0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.93:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #2EB67D on #4A154B |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.40:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #4A154B on #2EB67D |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.40:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #2EB67D on #ECB22E |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.35:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #ECB22E on #2EB67D |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.35:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2EB67D on #36C5F0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.28:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #36C5F0 on #2EB67D |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.28:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #36C5F0 on #ECB22E |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.06:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #ECB22E on #36C5F0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.06:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme
The Slack palette is built using a triadic relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
Hue Wheel
A triadic palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
History & Design Context
Slack launched in 2013. The aubergine purple was chosen specifically to differentiate from blue-dominant enterprise software. Stewart Butterfield insisted on the distinct color.
Best Design Use Cases
Aubergine only for the sidebar. Each accent color maps to a functional state — yellow for attention, blue for communication, green for success.
Industries This Palette Suits
Workplace communication, enterprise software, SaaS.
Colors That Pair Well With Slack
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 #ECB22E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
yellow-green
30° beside #ECB22E — 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 Slack Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #ECB22E for buttons and links — it scores 7.3:1 against the #4A154B background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #2EB67D — 5.4:1 against #4A154B passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
- Don't use #36C5F0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.
How to Implement the Slack Color Scheme
To use this Slack 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 #4A154B for the main background and #ECB22E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #2EB67D and #4A154B is 5.40:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Slack Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Slack color palette?
The Slack palette contains #4A154B, #ECB22E, #36C5F0, #2EB67D. 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 Slack color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #ECB22E on #4A154B reaches 7.3:1 (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 Slack palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #2D66EB, #BFE038, #F0EBF0 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 Slack palette create?
Slack reads as moody, vibrant. Saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated magenta — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Slack color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Slack 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 Slack 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 Slack's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.