#E8A85C
#C8703A
#F0D8B8
#3A1E06
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Tom Yum Color Palette

#E8A85C · #C8703A · #F0D8B8 · #3A1E06

AAA
WCAG Grade
7.4:1
Contrast Ratio
860
Saves
2,320
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #E8A85C as the background. Use #C8703A as the primary accent. Use #F0D8B8 as secondary. Use #3A1E06 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Tom Yum — sour, spicy, brothy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Tom Yum 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: 45.9%
232, 168, 92 0%, 28%, 60%, 9% 33°, 75%, 64%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 24.2%
200, 112, 58 0%, 44%, 71%, 22% 23°, 56%, 51%
Secondary
Luminance: 71.1%
240, 216, 184 0%, 10%, 23%, 6% 34°, 65%, 83%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.8%
58, 30, 6 0%, 48%, 90%, 77% 28°, 81%, 13%

Tom Yum 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 Tom Yum palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#E8A85C saturated orange
#C8703A gently saturated orange
#F0D8B8 saturated orange
#3A1E06 saturated orange

Tom Yum 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
#3A1E06 on #F0D8B8
Aa Sample Text
11.12:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#F0D8B8 on #3A1E06
Aa Sample Text
11.12:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3A1E06 on #E8A85C
Aa Sample Text
7.45:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E8A85C on #3A1E06
Aa Sample Text
7.45:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3A1E06 on #C8703A
Aa Sample Text
4.26:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8703A on #3A1E06
Aa Sample Text
4.26:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#F0D8B8 on #C8703A
Aa Sample Text
2.61:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8703A on #F0D8B8
Aa Sample Text
2.61:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8703A on #E8A85C
Aa Sample Text
1.75:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8A85C on #C8703A
Aa Sample Text
1.75:1 Fail Decorative use only
#F0D8B8 on #E8A85C
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8A85C on #F0D8B8
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only

Tom Yum Color Psychology & Meaning

Tom yum is the hot and sour soup of Thailand, bright with lemongrass, lime, and chiles, and this palette is that warm amber broth with pale highlights. It feels sharp and reviving, the color of a soup that clears the sinuses and the mind.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Tom Yum 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

Tom yum has been a staple of central Thai cooking for over a century, with the version with shrimp becoming the most famous. Its balance of sour, salty, spicy, and sweet defined the flavor profile that made Thai food beloved worldwide.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the amber broth for warm surfaces, the chile tones for accents, and the cream for text contrast. The deep brown grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Thai restaurants, soup brands, spicy food, food delivery, hospitality.

Colors That Pair Well With Tom Yum

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.

cyan-blue

directly opposite #C8703A on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #C8703A — 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 Tom Yum Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8703A for small UI elements on #E8A85C — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #3A1E06 — 7.4:1 against #E8A85C passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Don't use #F0D8B8 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Tom Yum Color Scheme

To use this Tom Yum 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 #E8A85C for the main background and #C8703A for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #3A1E06 and #E8A85C is 7.45:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Tom Yum Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Tom Yum color palette?

The Tom Yum palette contains #E8A85C, #C8703A, #F0D8B8, #3A1E06. 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 Tom Yum color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #3A1E06 on #F0D8B8 reaches 11.1:1 (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 Tom Yum palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #3C92C8, #BCAE49, #181511 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 Tom Yum palette create?

Tom Yum reads as sour, spicy, brothy. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by saturated orange — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Tom Yum color palette commercially?

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

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