Soft Fog Wharf
Soft Fog Wharf: a pastel split complementary palette of #C5BBA5, #D4CEAF, #BFD9ED, #E4DCFD, #FFF3DE. Gentle, friendly and a little nostalgic; best contrast 1.73:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on beige, purple, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 1.73:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Lush#C5BBA5
A light, neutral yellow (Lush) that brings light and cheer. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Malt#D4CEAF
A light, muted gray (Malt) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Polar Opposite#BFD9ED
A very light, muted blue (Polar Opposite) that brings trust and steadiness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Scented Spring#E4DCFD
A very light, muted pink (Scented Spring) that brings a warm, expressive tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Blank Canvas#FFF3DE
A very light, neutral beige (Blank Canvas) that brings soft, quiet warmth. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white1.90:1Poor 1/5
- On black19.12:1Excellent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ash | Text | #C5BBA5 | 79% |
| ≈ Fog | Accent | #D4CEAF | 85% |
| ≈ Powder Blue | Surface | #BFD9ED | 87% |
| ≈ Fog | Primary | #E4DCFD | 91% |
| ≈ Ivory | Background | #FFF3DE | 97% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #211A08 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #fff3de;
--color-surface: #bfd9ed;
--color-primary: #e4dcfd;
--color-accent: #d4ceaf;
--color-text: #211a08;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #fff3de;
--color-surface: #bfd9ed;
--color-primary: #e4dcfd;
--color-accent: #d4ceaf;
--color-ink: #211a08;
}
About this palette
Soft Fog Wharf is palette number 17,552 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a pastel palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Fog (#E4DCFD), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as gentle, friendly and a little nostalgic. Its colors run from Ivory (#FFF3DE) at the light end to Ash (#C5BBA5) at the dark end, covering 79% to 97% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ash #C5BBA5: suggested role text. It is a yellow color with 79% lightness and a chroma of 0.032.
2. ≈ Fog #D4CEAF: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 85% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
3. ≈ Powder Blue #BFD9ED: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 87% lightness and a chroma of 0.039.
4. ≈ Fog #E4DCFD: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 91% lightness and a chroma of 0.045.
5. ≈ Ivory #FFF3DE: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 97% lightness and a chroma of 0.03.
Harmony and structure
One hue is paired with the two hues flanking its opposite. You keep most of the energy of a complementary scheme with less tension and more variety.
In this palette the hues fall in the yellow, blue and violet families, spread across 215 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Pastel palettes keep chroma between 0.03 and 0.08, and lightness between 80% and 96%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.038 makes the saturation soft.
That combination suits baby and children's brands, wedding stationery and spring campaigns, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel gentle, friendly and a little nostalgic.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ash (#C5BBA5) with Ivory (#FFF3DE) at a contrast ratio of 1.73:1, 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 (#FFF3DE), so this page suggests #211A08 for text, a darkened Ash that reaches 15.73:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #BFD9ED and #E4DCFD may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under deuteranopia (reduced green sensitivity), #BFD9ED and #E4DCFD may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #FFF3DE as the background, #BFD9ED for cards and surfaces, #E4DCFD as the primary brand color, #D4CEAF as the accent, and #211A08 for text (a computed darker shade of Ash, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Use the lone hue as the dominant brand color and the two flanking hues as secondary and accent colors.
Typical uses for a pastel palette include baby and children's brands, wedding stationery, spring campaigns and wellness and beauty websites. 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 Soft Fog Wharf accessible?
Its best pair reaches 1.73:1 (#C5BBA5 on #FFF3DE). 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?
Fog (#E4DCFD) 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 baby and children's brands, wedding stationery, spring campaigns and wellness and beauty websites, where a gentle, friendly and a little nostalgic feel works well.