Woad Color Palette
#E6E9EC · #3C4A82 · #26305E · #0C1024
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.
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 |
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.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
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.
directly opposite #3C4A82 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #3C4A82 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
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.