Yerba Mate Color Psychology & Meaning
Yerba mate is the green tea of South America, drunk from a gourd through a metal straw, and its palette is the color of the plant and the gourd. It reads as natural energy and shared ritual.
#F0E8D8
#C8B880
#5A8A2A
#2A3A0A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Yerba Mate Color Palette
#F0E8D8 · #C8B880 · #5A8A2A · #2A3A0A
AAA
WCAG Grade
10.1:1
Contrast Ratio
1,150
Saves
3,000
AI Copies
Use #F0E8D8 as the background. Use #C8B880 as the primary accent. Use #5A8A2A as secondary. Use #2A3A0A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Yerba Mate — earthy, natural, energizing.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Yerba Mate 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% | 240, 232, 216 | 0%, 3%, 10%, 6% | 40°, 44%, 89% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 48.1% | 200, 184, 128 | 0%, 8%, 36%, 22% | 47°, 40%, 64% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 20.5% | 90, 138, 42 | 35%, 0%, 70%, 46% | 90°, 53%, 35% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 3.5% | 42, 58, 10 | 28%, 0%, 83%, 77% | 80°, 71%, 13% |
Yerba Mate 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 Yerba Mate palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#F0E8D8 gently saturated orange
#C8B880 gently saturated yellow
#5A8A2A gently saturated yellow-green
#2A3A0A saturated yellow-green
Yerba Mate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2A3A0A on #F0E8D8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.09:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #F0E8D8 on #2A3A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.09:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #2A3A0A on #C8B880 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.22:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #C8B880 on #2A3A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.22:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #5A8A2A on #F0E8D8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.38:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #F0E8D8 on #5A8A2A |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.38:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #2A3A0A on #5A8A2A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.99:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5A8A2A on #2A3A0A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.99:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5A8A2A on #C8B880 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.08:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8B880 on #5A8A2A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.08:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8B880 on #F0E8D8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.62:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F0E8D8 on #C8B880 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.62:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Custom Scheme
The Yerba Mate 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
Guarani people drank mate before European contact, and it became the national drink of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The gourd, the bombilla straw, and the thermos are an everyday ritual for millions.
Best Design Use Cases
Use the cream for backgrounds, the dry green for cards, and the mate green for primary accents. The dark green works for text and grounding.
Industries This Palette Suits
Tea and energy drinks, wellness, South American brands, cafes, outdoor and active lifestyle.
Colors That Pair Well With Yerba Mate
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 #C8B880 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
yellow-green
30° beside #C8B880 — 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 Yerba Mate Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #C8B880 for small UI elements on #F0E8D8 — at 1.6:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #2A3A0A — 10.1:1 against #F0E8D8 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #5A8A2A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8B880.
How to Implement the Yerba Mate Color Scheme
To use this Yerba Mate 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 #F0E8D8 for the main background and #C8B880 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #2A3A0A and #F0E8D8 is 10.09:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Yerba Mate Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Yerba Mate color palette?
The Yerba Mate palette contains #F0E8D8, #C8B880, #5A8A2A, #2A3A0A. 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 Yerba Mate color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #2A3A0A on #F0E8D8 reaches 10.1:1 (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 Yerba Mate palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #7E8EC8, #AFBF88, #171512 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 Yerba Mate palette create?
Yerba Mate reads as earthy, natural, energizing. Gently saturated yellow drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Yerba Mate color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Yerba Mate 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 Yerba Mate 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 Yerba Mate's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.