Clay Sand Canyon
Clay Sand Canyon: a earthy tetradic palette of #5E2C1C, #3F601F, #3C92B1, #BC94D5, #EECC7C. Organic, honest and tactile; best contrast 7.31:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, green, blue, with a moderate lightness range. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 7.31:1, enough for body text. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Hot Fudge#5E2C1C
A dark, muted brown (Hot Fudge) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Greenhouse#3F601F
A dark, moderately saturated green (Greenhouse) that brings a fresh, natural feel. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Blue Moon#3C92B1
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Blue Moon) that brings trust and steadiness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Violet Velvet#BC94D5
A light, moderately saturated purple (Violet Velvet) that brings imagination and polish. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Sand#EECC7C
A very light, moderately saturated yellow (Sand) that brings attention without aggression. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white11.33:1Very good 4/5
- On black13.56:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly94% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Espresso | Text | #5E2C1C | 36% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #3F601F | 45% |
| ≈ Teal | Surface | #3C92B1 | 62% |
| ≈ Lilac | Primary | #BC94D5 | 73% |
| ≈ Sand | Background | #EECC7C | 86% |
:root {
--color-background: #eecc7c;
--color-surface: #3c92b1;
--color-primary: #bc94d5;
--color-accent: #3f601f;
--color-text: #5e2c1c;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #eecc7c;
--color-surface: #3c92b1;
--color-primary: #bc94d5;
--color-accent: #3f601f;
--color-ink: #5e2c1c;
}
About this palette
Clay Sand Canyon is palette number 14,994,996 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a earthy palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Sand (#EECC7C), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as organic, honest and tactile. Its colors run from Sand (#EECC7C) at the light end to Espresso (#5E2C1C) at the dark end, covering 36% to 86% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Espresso #5E2C1C: suggested role text. It is a red color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.078.
2. ≈ Pine #3F601F: suggested role accent. It is a green color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.101.
3. ≈ Teal #3C92B1: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 62% lightness and a chroma of 0.094.
4. ≈ Lilac #BC94D5: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 73% lightness and a chroma of 0.102.
5. ≈ Sand #EECC7C: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 86% lightness and a chroma of 0.106.
Harmony and structure
Four hues are spaced around the wheel in two complementary pairs. It is the richest scheme, and the hardest to balance.
In this palette the hues fall in the red, green, cyan, violet and yellow families, spread across 274 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Earthy palettes keep chroma between 0.04 and 0.11, and lightness between 34% and 86%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is temperature-balanced: 2 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.096 makes the saturation balanced.
That combination suits food and coffee brands, outdoor and craft businesses and interior-design boards, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel organic, honest and tactile.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Espresso (#5E2C1C) with Sand (#EECC7C) at a contrast ratio of 7.31:1, which is WCAG AAA. Across all 10 possible pairs, 2 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 2 more reach 3:1 for large text.
On the Sand background (#EECC7C), #5E2C1C and #3F601F can be used for text at AA contrast.
On the Espresso text color (#5E2C1C), #EECC7C reach AA contrast.
All five colors stay distinguishable under protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia simulations, which is a good sign, although it is no substitute for testing with real users.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #EECC7C as the background, #3C92B1 for cards and surfaces, #BC94D5 as the primary brand color, #3F601F as the accent, and #5E2C1C for text. A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Let one hue take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
Typical uses for a earthy palette include food and coffee brands, outdoor and craft businesses, interior-design boards and sustainability reports. 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 Clay Sand Canyon accessible?
Its best pair reaches 7.31:1 (#5E2C1C on #EECC7C). 2 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?
Lilac (#BC94D5) 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 food and coffee brands, outdoor and craft businesses, interior-design boards and sustainability reports, where a organic, honest and tactile feel works well.