#E6E9EC
#3C4A82
#26305E
#0C1024
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Woad Color Palette

#E6E9EC · #3C4A82 · #26305E · #0C1024

AAA
WCAG Grade
15.5:1
Contrast Ratio
712
Saves
2,058
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #E6E9EC as the background. Use #3C4A82 as the primary accent. Use #26305E as secondary. Use #0C1024 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Woad — cool, earthy, vintage, moody, forest.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Woad 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: 81.2%
230, 233, 236 3%, 1%, 0%, 7% 210°, 14%, 91%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 7.5%
60, 74, 130 54%, 43%, 0%, 49% 228°, 37%, 37%
Secondary
Luminance: 3.3%
38, 48, 94 60%, 49%, 0%, 63% 229°, 42%, 26%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.6%
12, 16, 36 67%, 56%, 0%, 86% 230°, 50%, 9%

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

#E6E9EC muted cyan-blue
#3C4A82 gently saturated blue
#26305E gently saturated blue
#0C1024 gently saturated blue

Woad 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
#0C1024 on #E6E9EC
Aa Sample Text
15.45:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E6E9EC on #0C1024
Aa Sample Text
15.45:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#26305E on #E6E9EC
Aa Sample Text
10.34:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E6E9EC on #26305E
Aa Sample Text
10.34:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3C4A82 on #E6E9EC
Aa Sample Text
6.91:1 AA Body text, UI
#E6E9EC on #3C4A82
Aa Sample Text
6.91:1 AA Body text, UI
#0C1024 on #3C4A82
Aa Sample Text
2.24:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3C4A82 on #0C1024
Aa Sample Text
2.24:1 Fail Decorative use only
#26305E on #3C4A82
Aa Sample Text
1.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3C4A82 on #26305E
Aa Sample Text
1.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0C1024 on #26305E
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only
#26305E on #0C1024
Aa Sample Text
1.49:1 Fail Decorative use only

Woad Color Psychology & Meaning

Woad gave Europe its blue before indigo arrived, and it was grown on such a scale that whole regions of England and France were turned over to a crop that smells like rotting cabbages, and this palette is mash pale with leaf deep. It feels earthbound and northern, the color of a field that dyes and stinks.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Woad 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

Woad is a brassica related to broccoli, and its leaves contain the same dye precursor as indigo, though at much lower concentration; it was eventually outcompeted by imported tropical indigo.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the mash pale for backgrounds, woad blue for primary actions, leaf deep for highlights, and vat dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Fine fragrance, jewellery, publishing, editorial and museum identity.

Colors That Pair Well With Woad

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.

yellow

directly opposite #3C4A82 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

violet

30° beside #3C4A82 — 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 Woad Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Use #3C4A82 for buttons and links — it scores 6.9:1 against the #E6E9EC background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
  • Set body text in #0C1024 — 15.5:1 against #E6E9EC passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #26305E carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #3C4A82.

How to Implement the Woad Color Scheme

To use this Woad 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 #E6E9EC for the main background and #3C4A82 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #0C1024 and #E6E9EC is 15.45:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Woad Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Woad color palette?

The Woad palette contains #E6E9EC, #3C4A82, #26305E, #0C1024. 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 Woad color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #0C1024 on #E6E9EC reaches 15.5:1 (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 Woad palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #81733B, #544578, #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 Woad palette create?

Woad reads as cool, earthy, vintage. Gently saturated blue drives the personality, grounded by muted cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Woad color palette commercially?

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

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