#8E8E9E
#5C8EA8
#C8C8D0
#1E2E3A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Waterspout Color Palette

#8E8E9E · #5C8EA8 · #C8C8D0 · #1E2E3A

Fail
WCAG Grade
4.3:1
Contrast Ratio
870
Saves
2,310
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #8E8E9E as the background. Use #5C8EA8 as the primary accent. Use #C8C8D0 as secondary. Use #1E2E3A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Waterspout — waterspout, spout, sea.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Waterspout 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: 27.6%
142, 142, 158 10%, 10%, 0%, 38% 240°, 8%, 59%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 24.4%
92, 142, 168 45%, 15%, 0%, 34% 201°, 30%, 51%
Secondary
Luminance: 58.1%
200, 200, 208 4%, 4%, 0%, 18% 240°, 8%, 80%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.5%
30, 46, 58 48%, 21%, 0%, 77% 206°, 32%, 17%

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

#8E8E9E muted blue
#5C8EA8 gently saturated cyan-blue
#C8C8D0 muted blue
#1E2E3A gently saturated cyan-blue

Waterspout 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
#1E2E3A on #C8C8D0
Aa Sample Text
8.38:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8C8D0 on #1E2E3A
Aa Sample Text
8.38:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#1E2E3A on #8E8E9E
Aa Sample Text
4.32:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E8E9E on #1E2E3A
Aa Sample Text
4.32:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#1E2E3A on #5C8EA8
Aa Sample Text
3.91:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5C8EA8 on #1E2E3A
Aa Sample Text
3.91:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8C8D0 on #5C8EA8
Aa Sample Text
2.14:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C8EA8 on #C8C8D0
Aa Sample Text
2.14:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8C8D0 on #8E8E9E
Aa Sample Text
1.94:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E9E on #C8C8D0
Aa Sample Text
1.94:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C8EA8 on #8E8E9E
Aa Sample Text
1.11:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E9E on #5C8EA8
Aa Sample Text
1.11:1 Fail Decorative use only

Waterspout Color Psychology & Meaning

A waterspout is the tornado over water, a column of spray connecting sea and cloud, and this palette is sea grey with spout blue. It feels transient and dramatic, the color of a whirlwind that drinks from the ocean.

Color Harmony: Custom Scheme

The Waterspout 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

Waterspouts have been seen by sailors for millennia, and the fair-weather spouts of the Florida Keys are the most common in the world; the 2011 wreck of the replica ship Bounty was caused by a waterspout-generated storm.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the sea grey for the sky, spout blue for the column, pale grey for the spray, and deep slate for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Meteorology, sailing, photography, marine science.

Colors That Pair Well With Waterspout

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.

orange

directly opposite #5C8EA8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #5C8EA8 — 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 Waterspout Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #5C8EA8 for small UI elements on #8E8E9E — at 1.1:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #1E2E3A on #8E8E9E — 4.3:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #C8C8D0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Waterspout Color Scheme

To use this Waterspout 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 #8E8E9E for the main background and #5C8EA8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #1E2E3A and #8E8E9E is 4.32:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Waterspout Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Waterspout color palette?

The Waterspout palette contains #8E8E9E, #5C8EA8, #C8C8D0, #1E2E3A. 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 Waterspout color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #1E2E3A on #C8C8D0 reaches 8.4:1 (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 Waterspout palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #A8775D, #69719B, #141415 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 Waterspout palette create?

Waterspout reads as waterspout, spout, sea. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by muted blue — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Waterspout color palette commercially?

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

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