#EFEDE7
#A6A199
#5E5A53
#141312
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Willow Charcoal Color Palette

#EFEDE7 · #A6A199 · #5E5A53 · #141312

AAA
WCAG Grade
15.9:1
Contrast Ratio
676
Saves
1,379
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #EFEDE7 as the background. Use #A6A199 as the primary accent. Use #5E5A53 as secondary. Use #141312 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Willow Charcoal — mono, earthy, warm, vintage.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Willow Charcoal 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: 84.7%
239, 237, 231 0%, 1%, 3%, 6% 45°, 20%, 92%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 35.9%
166, 161, 153 0%, 3%, 8%, 35% 37°, 7%, 63%
Secondary
Luminance: 10.3%
94, 90, 83 0%, 4%, 12%, 63% 38°, 6%, 35%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.7%
20, 19, 18 0%, 5%, 10%, 92% 30°, 5%, 7%

Willow Charcoal 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 Willow Charcoal palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#EFEDE7 muted orange
#A6A199 neutral gray
#5E5A53 neutral gray
#141312 neutral gray

Willow Charcoal 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
#141312 on #EFEDE7
Aa Sample Text
15.85:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EFEDE7 on #141312
Aa Sample Text
15.85:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#141312 on #A6A199
Aa Sample Text
7.23:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#A6A199 on #141312
Aa Sample Text
7.23:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#5E5A53 on #EFEDE7
Aa Sample Text
5.86:1 AA Body text, UI
#EFEDE7 on #5E5A53
Aa Sample Text
5.86:1 AA Body text, UI
#141312 on #5E5A53
Aa Sample Text
2.71:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E5A53 on #141312
Aa Sample Text
2.71:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E5A53 on #A6A199
Aa Sample Text
2.67:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A6A199 on #5E5A53
Aa Sample Text
2.67:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A6A199 on #EFEDE7
Aa Sample Text
2.19:1 Fail Decorative use only
#EFEDE7 on #A6A199
Aa Sample Text
2.19:1 Fail Decorative use only

Willow Charcoal Color Psychology & Meaning

Willow charcoal is the softest drawing tool there is, so an artist loses control of the line and gains a smudge instead, and this palette is paper warm with char mid. It feels loose and atmospheric, the color of a drawing that spreads by itself.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Willow Charcoal 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

Willow charcoal is made by heating willow rods without air until only carbon remains, the same principle as the charcoal used in iron smelting.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the paper warm for hero surfaces, smudge mid for interactive elements, char mid for accents, and soot dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Editorial and magazine design, photography portfolios, galleries and museums.

Colors That Pair Well With Willow Charcoal

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 #A6A199 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #A6A199 — 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 Willow Charcoal Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #A6A199 for small UI elements on #EFEDE7 — at 2.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #141312 — 15.9:1 against #EFEDE7 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #5E5A53 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #A6A199.

How to Implement the Willow Charcoal Color Scheme

To use this Willow Charcoal 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 #EFEDE7 for the main background and #A6A199 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #141312 and #EFEDE7 is 15.85:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Willow Charcoal Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Willow Charcoal color palette?

The Willow Charcoal palette contains #EFEDE7, #A6A199, #5E5A53, #141312. 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 Willow Charcoal color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #141312 on #EFEDE7 reaches 15.9:1 (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.

What colors go well with the Willow Charcoal palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #9A9FA7, #A8AA97, #151513 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 Willow Charcoal palette create?

Willow Charcoal reads as mono, earthy, warm. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by muted orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Willow Charcoal color palette commercially?

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

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