#DCDDDB · #9A9C9C · #5A5D5F · #16191C
Use #DCDDDB as the background. Use #9A9C9C as the primary accent. Use #5A5D5F as secondary. Use #16191C as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Thunderhead — moody, night, cool, mono.
Technical breakdown for the Thunderhead 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: 72.0% | 220, 221, 219 | 0%, 0%, 1%, 13% | 90°, 3%, 86% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 33.0% | 154, 156, 156 | 1%, 0%, 0%, 39% | 180°, 1%, 61% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 10.8% | 90, 93, 95 | 5%, 2%, 0%, 63% | 204°, 3%, 36% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 0.9% | 22, 25, 28 | 21%, 11%, 0%, 89% | 210°, 12%, 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 Thunderhead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #16191C on #DCDDDB |
Aa Sample Text
| 12.95:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #DCDDDB on #16191C |
Aa Sample Text
| 12.95:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #16191C on #9A9C9C |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.39:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #9A9C9C on #16191C |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.39:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5A5D5F on #DCDDDB |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.87:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #DCDDDB on #5A5D5F |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.87:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #16191C on #5A5D5F |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.66:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5A5D5F on #16191C |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.66:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5A5D5F on #9A9C9C |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.40:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #9A9C9C on #5A5D5F |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.40:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #9A9C9C on #DCDDDB |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.02:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #DCDDDB on #9A9C9C |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.02:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The Thunderhead 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.
A triadic 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 #9A9C9C on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #9A9C9C — 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 Thunderhead 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 #DCDDDB for the main background and #9A9C9C for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #16191C and #DCDDDB is 12.95:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The Thunderhead palette contains #DCDDDB, #9A9C9C, #5A5D5F, #16191C. 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: #16191C on #DCDDDB reaches 12.9:1 (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.
Beyond its own four colors, #9D9B9B, #929CA5, #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.
Thunderhead reads as moody, night, 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 Thunderhead 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 Thunderhead's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.