#8E8E7A
#C8B890
#7A9E5C
#2E2A1E
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Union Square Color Palette

#8E8E7A · #C8B890 · #7A9E5C · #2E2A1E

Fail
WCAG Grade
4.3:1
Contrast Ratio
930
Saves
2,510
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #8E8E7A as the background. Use #C8B890 as the primary accent. Use #7A9E5C as secondary. Use #2E2A1E as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Union Square — civic, market, green.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Union Square 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: 26.5%
142, 142, 122 0%, 0%, 14%, 44% 60°, 8%, 52%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 48.6%
200, 184, 144 0%, 8%, 28%, 22% 43°, 34%, 67%
Secondary
Luminance: 29.4%
122, 158, 92 23%, 0%, 42%, 38% 93°, 26%, 49%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.3%
46, 42, 30 0%, 9%, 35%, 82% 45°, 21%, 15%

Union Square 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 Union Square palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#8E8E7A muted yellow
#C8B890 gently saturated orange
#7A9E5C gently saturated yellow-green
#2E2A1E muted orange

Union Square 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
#2E2A1E on #C8B890
Aa Sample Text
7.31:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8B890 on #2E2A1E
Aa Sample Text
7.31:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#2E2A1E on #7A9E5C
Aa Sample Text
4.69:1 AA Body text, UI
#7A9E5C on #2E2A1E
Aa Sample Text
4.69:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E2A1E on #8E8E7A
Aa Sample Text
4.30:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E8E7A on #2E2A1E
Aa Sample Text
4.30:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8B890 on #8E8E7A
Aa Sample Text
1.70:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E7A on #C8B890
Aa Sample Text
1.70:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7A9E5C on #C8B890
Aa Sample Text
1.56:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B890 on #7A9E5C
Aa Sample Text
1.56:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7A9E5C on #8E8E7A
Aa Sample Text
1.09:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E7A on #7A9E5C
Aa Sample Text
1.09:1 Fail Decorative use only

Union Square Color Psychology & Meaning

Union Square is the Manhattan plaza of the farmers market, the holiday market, and a long tradition of speeches and rallies, and this palette is that civic stone with market green. It feels public and lively, the color of a square that has always been the citys soapbox.

Color Harmony: Custom Scheme

The Union Square 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

Union Square has hosted protests since the 1800s, including the first Labor Day parade, and its Greenmarket has run since 1976. The statue of George Washington marks the spot, and the square anchors one of the busiest shopping districts in the city.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the civic stone for public surfaces, the market green for accents, and the warm tan for supporting sections. The deep charcoal grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Farmers markets, retail, events, labor and civic organizations, transit.

Colors That Pair Well With Union Square

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.

blue

directly opposite #C8B890 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #C8B890 — 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 Union Square Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8B890 for small UI elements on #8E8E7A — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #2E2A1E on #8E8E7A — 4.3:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #7A9E5C carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8B890.

How to Implement the Union Square Color Scheme

To use this Union Square 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 #8E8E7A for the main background and #C8B890 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E2A1E and #8E8E7A is 4.30:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Union Square Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Union Square color palette?

The Union Square palette contains #8E8E7A, #C8B890, #7A9E5C, #2E2A1E. 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 Union Square color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E2A1E on #C8B890 reaches 7.3:1 (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 Union Square palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #8E9EC7, #B6BF97, #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 Union Square palette create?

Union Square reads as civic, market, green. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by muted yellow — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Union Square color palette commercially?

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

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