#3A3A44 · #C8B060 · #6E7A8E · #1E1E24
Use #3A3A44 as the background. Use #C8B060 as the primary accent. Use #6E7A8E as secondary. Use #1E1E24 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: VHS Tape — vintage, mono, night, moody.
Technical breakdown for the VHS Tape 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: 4.3% | 58, 58, 68 | 15%, 15%, 0%, 73% | 240°, 8%, 25% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 44.2% | 200, 176, 96 | 0%, 12%, 52%, 22% | 46°, 49%, 58% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 19.2% | 110, 122, 142 | 23%, 14%, 0%, 44% | 218°, 13%, 49% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 1.3% | 30, 30, 36 | 17%, 17%, 0%, 86% | 240°, 9%, 13% |
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 VHS Tape 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1E1E24 on #C8B060 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.77:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #C8B060 on #1E1E24 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.77:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #C8B060 on #3A3A44 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.26:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #3A3A44 on #C8B060 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.26:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #1E1E24 on #6E7A8E |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.82:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #6E7A8E on #1E1E24 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.82:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #6E7A8E on #3A3A44 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.59:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A3A44 on #6E7A8E |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.59:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #6E7A8E on #C8B060 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.03:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8B060 on #6E7A8E |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.03:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1E1E24 on #3A3A44 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.48:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #3A3A44 on #1E1E24 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.48:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
The VHS Tape palette is built using a split-complementary relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
A split-complementary 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 #C8B060 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #C8B060 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
To use this VHS Tape 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 #3A3A44 for the main background and #C8B060 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
The contrast ratio between #1E1E24 and #3A3A44 is 1.48:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.
The VHS Tape palette contains #3A3A44, #C8B060, #6E7A8E, #1E1E24. 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: #1E1E24 on #C8B060 reaches 7.8:1 (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, #5F78C8, #A7BE6A, #ECECEE 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.
VHS Tape reads as vintage, mono, night. Gently saturated yellow drives the personality, grounded by muted blue — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the VHS Tape 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 VHS Tape's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.