#ECEDEB
#B4B6B5
#7A7C7C
#262828
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Stratus Color Palette

#ECEDEB · #B4B6B5 · #7A7C7C · #262828

AAA
WCAG Grade
12.6:1
Contrast Ratio
817
Saves
1,682
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #ECEDEB as the background. Use #B4B6B5 as the primary accent. Use #7A7C7C as secondary. Use #262828 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Stratus — cool, moody, mono, night.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Stratus 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: 84.4%
236, 237, 235 0%, 0%, 1%, 7% 90°, 5%, 93%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 46.5%
180, 182, 181 1%, 0%, 1%, 29% 150°, 1%, 71%
Secondary
Luminance: 20.0%
122, 124, 124 2%, 0%, 0%, 51% 180°, 1%, 48%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.1%
38, 40, 40 5%, 0%, 0%, 84% 180°, 3%, 15%

Stratus 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 Stratus palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#ECEDEB neutral gray
#B4B6B5 neutral gray
#7A7C7C neutral gray
#262828 neutral gray

Stratus 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
#262828 on #ECEDEB
Aa Sample Text
12.62:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#ECEDEB on #262828
Aa Sample Text
12.62:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#262828 on #B4B6B5
Aa Sample Text
7.27:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#B4B6B5 on #262828
Aa Sample Text
7.27:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#7A7C7C on #ECEDEB
Aa Sample Text
3.57:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#ECEDEB on #7A7C7C
Aa Sample Text
3.57:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#262828 on #7A7C7C
Aa Sample Text
3.53:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#7A7C7C on #262828
Aa Sample Text
3.53:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#7A7C7C on #B4B6B5
Aa Sample Text
2.06:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B4B6B5 on #7A7C7C
Aa Sample Text
2.06:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B4B6B5 on #ECEDEB
Aa Sample Text
1.74:1 Fail Decorative use only
#ECEDEB on #B4B6B5
Aa Sample Text
1.74:1 Fail Decorative use only

Stratus Color Psychology & Meaning

Stratus is a cloud with no shape to admire, a sheet that can cover a thousand kilometres and never once produce a recognisable edge, and this palette is mist pale with layer mid. It feels blank and level, the color of a ceiling that came down.

Color Harmony: Custom Scheme

The Stratus 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.

Hue Wheel

A custom palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

Stratus forms when a stable air mass is lifted slowly, producing a layer rather than a tower; drizzle from stratus rarely exceeds half a millimetre an hour.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the mist pale for wide surfaces, stratus gray for buttons and links, layer mid for secondary details, and drizzle dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Editorial and magazine design, photography portfolios, galleries and museums.

Colors That Pair Well With Stratus

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.

magenta

directly opposite #B4B6B5 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

teal

30° beside #B4B6B5 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Stratus Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #B4B6B5 for small UI elements on #ECEDEB — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #262828 — 12.6:1 against #ECEDEB passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #7A7C7C carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #B4B6B5.

How to Implement the Stratus Color Scheme

To use this Stratus 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 #ECEDEB for the main background and #B4B6B5 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #262828 and #ECEDEB is 12.62:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Stratus Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Stratus color palette?

The Stratus palette contains #ECEDEB, #B4B6B5, #7A7C7C, #262828. 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 Stratus color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #262828 on #ECEDEB reaches 12.6:1 (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.

What colors go well with the Stratus palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #B3B2B3, #AEBCBC, #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.

What mood does the Stratus palette create?

Stratus reads as cool, moody, mono. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Stratus color palette commercially?

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

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