#EDEDE6
#3C4784
#252D60
#0C102A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Tenugui Color Palette

#EDEDE6 · #3C4784 · #252D60 · #0C102A

AAA
WCAG Grade
15.9:1
Contrast Ratio
947
Saves
1,686
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #EDEDE6 as the background. Use #3C4784 as the primary accent. Use #252D60 as secondary. Use #0C102A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Tenugui — vintage, mono, earthy, warm, moody.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Tenugui 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: 84.3%
237, 237, 230 0%, 0%, 3%, 7% 60°, 16%, 92%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 7.1%
60, 71, 132 55%, 46%, 0%, 48% 231°, 38%, 38%
Secondary
Luminance: 3.1%
37, 45, 96 61%, 53%, 0%, 62% 232°, 44%, 26%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.6%
12, 16, 42 71%, 62%, 0%, 84% 232°, 56%, 11%

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

#EDEDE6 muted yellow
#3C4784 gently saturated blue
#252D60 gently saturated blue
#0C102A gently saturated blue

Tenugui 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
#0C102A on #EDEDE6
Aa Sample Text
15.90:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EDEDE6 on #0C102A
Aa Sample Text
15.90:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#252D60 on #EDEDE6
Aa Sample Text
11.00:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EDEDE6 on #252D60
Aa Sample Text
11.00:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3C4784 on #EDEDE6
Aa Sample Text
7.36:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EDEDE6 on #3C4784
Aa Sample Text
7.36:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#0C102A on #3C4784
Aa Sample Text
2.16:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3C4784 on #0C102A
Aa Sample Text
2.16:1 Fail Decorative use only
#252D60 on #3C4784
Aa Sample Text
1.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3C4784 on #252D60
Aa Sample Text
1.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0C102A on #252D60
Aa Sample Text
1.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#252D60 on #0C102A
Aa Sample Text
1.44:1 Fail Decorative use only

Tenugui Color Psychology & Meaning

A tenugui is a thin rectangle of cotton with a raw edge on two sides, and the selvedge-only hem exists because a proper hem would stop it drying fast enough, and this palette is hem pale with dye deep. It feels simple and useful, the color of a towel with a picture printed on it.

Color Harmony: Complementary Scheme

The Tenugui palette is built using a complementary relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it provides maximum contrast and energy by using opposite colors.

History & Design Context

Tenugui have been made in Japan for at least a thousand years, and the unfinished ends are deliberate: they fray slightly and then stop, and they dry far faster than a hemmed towel.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the hem pale for large surfaces, tenugui indigo for links and buttons, dye deep for fine details, and ink dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Interiors, hospitality, nightlife brands, cinematic and streaming titles.

Colors That Pair Well With Tenugui

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.

yellow

directly opposite #3C4784 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

violet

30° beside #3C4784 — 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 Tenugui Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Use #3C4784 for buttons and links — it scores 7.4:1 against the #EDEDE6 background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
  • Set body text in #0C102A — 15.9:1 against #EDEDE6 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #252D60 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #3C4784.

How to Implement the Tenugui Color Scheme

To use this Tenugui 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 #EDEDE6 for the main background and #3C4784 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #0C102A and #EDEDE6 is 15.90:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Tenugui Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Tenugui color palette?

The Tenugui palette contains #EDEDE6, #3C4784, #252D60, #0C102A. 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 Tenugui color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #0C102A on #EDEDE6 reaches 15.9:1 (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 Tenugui palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #867B3C, #59467C, #151514 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 Tenugui palette create?

Tenugui reads as vintage, mono, earthy. Gently saturated blue drives the personality, grounded by muted yellow — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Tenugui color palette commercially?

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

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