#5E6268
#3E4248
#8E9298
#24272C
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Smoked Glass Color Palette

#5E6268 · #3E4248 · #8E9298 · #24272C

Fail
WCAG Grade
2.4:1
Contrast Ratio
1,043
Saves
2,554
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #5E6268 as the background. Use #3E4248 as the primary accent. Use #8E9298 as secondary. Use #24272C as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Smoked Glass — moody, mono, cool, vintage.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Smoked Glass 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: 12.1%
94, 98, 104 10%, 6%, 0%, 59% 216°, 5%, 39%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 5.4%
62, 66, 72 14%, 8%, 0%, 72% 216°, 7%, 26%
Secondary
Luminance: 28.6%
142, 146, 152 7%, 4%, 0%, 40% 216°, 5%, 58%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.0%
36, 39, 44 18%, 11%, 0%, 83% 218°, 10%, 16%

Smoked Glass 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 Smoked Glass palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#5E6268 neutral gray
#3E4248 neutral gray
#8E9298 neutral gray
#24272C muted blue

Smoked Glass 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
#24272C on #8E9298
Aa Sample Text
4.79:1 AA Body text, UI
#8E9298 on #24272C
Aa Sample Text
4.79:1 AA Body text, UI
#8E9298 on #3E4248
Aa Sample Text
3.23:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#3E4248 on #8E9298
Aa Sample Text
3.23:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#24272C on #5E6268
Aa Sample Text
2.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E6268 on #24272C
Aa Sample Text
2.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E9298 on #5E6268
Aa Sample Text
1.96:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E6268 on #8E9298
Aa Sample Text
1.96:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E4248 on #5E6268
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E6268 on #3E4248
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#24272C on #3E4248
Aa Sample Text
1.48:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3E4248 on #24272C
Aa Sample Text
1.48:1 Fail Decorative use only

Smoked Glass Color Psychology & Meaning

Smoked glass takes a grey tint that lowers the contrast of whatever is behind it, which is why it was used for entire decades of furniture, and this palette is smoke grey with glass light. It feels cool and dated, the color of a table you can see through.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Smoked Glass 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

Smoked glass in furniture was produced by adding metal oxides to the glass melt or by surface coating; its low transmission made it popular for tables and shelving in the 1970s and 1980s.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the smoke grey for page backgrounds, smoke dark for calls to action, glass light for card accents, and glass edge for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Developer tools, security products, data platforms, dark-mode apps.

Colors That Pair Well With Smoked Glass

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.

orange

directly opposite #3E4248 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #3E4248 — 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 Smoked Glass Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #3E4248 for small UI elements on #5E6268 — at 1.6:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #24272C on #5E6268 — 2.4:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #8E9298 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Smoked Glass Color Scheme

To use this Smoked Glass 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 #5E6268 for the main background and #3E4248 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #24272C and #5E6268 is 2.44:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Smoked Glass Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Smoked Glass color palette?

The Smoked Glass palette contains #5E6268, #3E4248, #8E9298, #24272C. 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 Smoked Glass color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #24272C on #8E9298 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 Smoked Glass palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #5F5A53, #3D3C49, #ECEDEE 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 Smoked Glass palette create?

Smoked Glass reads as moody, mono, cool. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Smoked Glass color palette commercially?

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

Similar Palettes

Live Preview
Generate Similar ✦
Skip to content