Paper Powder Blue Estuary
Paper Powder Blue Estuary: a soft neutral analogous palette of #9DACAD, #9FC2CB, #B9CCD6, #C9E6FE, #E7EEF9. Pure, minimal and calm; best contrast 2.01:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on gray, beige, blue, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.01:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Ether#9DACAD
A light, neutral gray (Ether) that brings calm restraint. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Aquatic#9FC2CB
A light, muted blue (Aquatic) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Windy#B9CCD6
A light, neutral gray (Windy) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Veiling Waterfalls#C9E6FE
A very light, muted blue (Veiling Waterfalls) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Bride#E7EEF9
A very light, neutral gray (Bride) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.34:1Poor 1/5
- On black17.99:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly99% similarExcellent 5/5
Contrast is the best any color in the palette reaches on a plain white or black background. Color blind friendly shows how much of the difference between the colors is kept under the common kinds of color blindness.
| Color | Role | HEX | Lightness |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Dusty Rose | Text | #9DACAD | 73% |
| ≈ Silver | Accent | #9FC2CB | 79% |
| ≈ Silver | Surface | #B9CCD6 | 83% |
| ≈ Powder Blue | Primary | #C9E6FE | 91% |
| ≈ White | Background | #E7EEF9 | 95% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #111D1E for text.
:root {
--color-background: #e7eef9;
--color-surface: #b9ccd6;
--color-primary: #c9e6fe;
--color-accent: #9fc2cb;
--color-text: #111d1e;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #e7eef9;
--color-surface: #b9ccd6;
--color-primary: #c9e6fe;
--color-accent: #9fc2cb;
--color-ink: #111d1e;
}
About this palette
Paper Powder Blue Estuary is palette number 11,382 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a analogous scheme, and it is anchored by Powder Blue (#C9E6FE), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as pure, minimal and calm. Its colors run from White (#E7EEF9) at the light end to Dusty Rose (#9DACAD) at the dark end, covering 73% to 95% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Dusty Rose #9DACAD: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 73% lightness and a chroma of 0.017, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Silver #9FC2CB: suggested role accent. It is a cyan color with 79% lightness and a chroma of 0.04.
3. ≈ Silver #B9CCD6: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 83% lightness and a chroma of 0.025, so it behaves like a neutral.
4. ≈ Powder Blue #C9E6FE: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 91% lightness and a chroma of 0.045.
5. ≈ White #E7EEF9: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 95% lightness and a chroma of 0.017, so it behaves like a neutral.
Harmony and structure
The hues sit side by side on the color wheel, spanning roughly 60 degrees. Analogous palettes feel natural and flowing, like a sunset or a stretch of coastline.
In this palette the hues fall in the cyan and blue families, spread across 28 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Soft neutral palettes keep chroma between 0.01 and 0.05, and lightness between 72% and 96%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is temperature-neutral: 0 of its 2 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.029 makes the saturation soft.
That combination suits minimal websites, fashion lookbooks and stationery, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel pure, minimal and calm.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Dusty Rose (#9DACAD) with White (#E7EEF9) at a contrast ratio of 2.01:1, which is below the WCAG AA minimum of 4.5:1. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 0 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#E7EEF9), so this page suggests #111D1E for text, a darkened Dusty Rose that reaches 14.77:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #9FC2CB and #B9CCD6 and #C9E6FE and #E7EEF9 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under deuteranopia (reduced green sensitivity), #9FC2CB and #B9CCD6 and #C9E6FE and #E7EEF9 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under tritanopia (reduced blue sensitivity), #9FC2CB and #B9CCD6 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #E7EEF9 as the background, #B9CCD6 for cards and surfaces, #C9E6FE as the primary brand color, #9FC2CB as the accent, and #111D1E for text (a computed darker shade of Dusty Rose, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Let one hue lead and let the others support it. Keep one color noticeably lighter or darker than the rest so the layout has a clear focal point.
Typical uses for a soft neutral palette include minimal websites, fashion lookbooks, stationery and note-taking and documentation apps. Open it in the generator to lock the colors you love and reroll the rest, or in the visualizer to see it on real layouts.
More palettes like this
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper Powder Blue Estuary accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.01:1 (#9DACAD on #E7EEF9). 0 of 10 pairs reach WCAG AA for normal text. Always check the exact text and background you use.
Which color should be the main brand color?
Powder Blue (#C9E6FE) is the most saturated color that is neither the lightest nor the darkest, which makes it the natural primary.
What is this palette good for?
It suits minimal websites, fashion lookbooks, stationery and note-taking and documentation apps, where a pure, minimal and calm feel works well.