Paper Ash Canyon
Paper Ash Canyon: a soft neutral analogous palette of #98A4A0, #96C2BC, #A4D0D5, #CCE1E7, #EDF8FE. Pure, minimal and calm; best contrast 2.38:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on gray, teal, white, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.38:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Walrus#98A4A0
A light, neutral gray (Walrus) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Riverbed#96C2BC
A light, muted teal (Riverbed) that brings a coastal freshness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Wave#A4D0D5
A light, muted teal (Wave) that brings clean, modern calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Cotton Clouds#CCE1E7
A very light, neutral blue (Cotton Clouds) that brings trust and steadiness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Snow#EDF8FE
A very light, neutral white (Snow) that brings light and simplicity. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.57:1Poor 1/5
- On black19.45:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly98% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Taupe | Text | #98A4A0 | 71% |
| ≈ Ash | Primary | #96C2BC | 78% |
| ≈ Powder Blue | Surface | #A4D0D5 | 83% |
| ≈ Fog | Accent | #CCE1E7 | 90% |
| ≈ White | Background | #EDF8FE | 97% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #141D1A for text.
:root {
--color-background: #edf8fe;
--color-surface: #a4d0d5;
--color-primary: #96c2bc;
--color-accent: #cce1e7;
--color-text: #141d1a;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #edf8fe;
--color-surface: #a4d0d5;
--color-primary: #96c2bc;
--color-accent: #cce1e7;
--color-ink: #141d1a;
}
About this palette
Paper Ash Canyon is palette number 2,422 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a analogous scheme, and it is anchored by Ash (#96C2BC), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as pure, minimal and calm. Its colors run from White (#EDF8FE) at the light end to Taupe (#98A4A0) at the dark end, covering 71% to 97% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Taupe #98A4A0: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 71% lightness and a chroma of 0.015, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Ash #96C2BC: suggested role primary. It is a teal color with 78% lightness and a chroma of 0.047.
3. ≈ Powder Blue #A4D0D5: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 83% lightness and a chroma of 0.047.
4. ≈ Fog #CCE1E7: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 90% lightness and a chroma of 0.024, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ White #EDF8FE: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 97% lightness and a chroma of 0.014, 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 teal and cyan families, spread across 19 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 1 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 Taupe (#98A4A0) with White (#EDF8FE) at a contrast ratio of 2.38:1, 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 (#EDF8FE), so this page suggests #141D1A for text, a darkened Taupe that reaches 15.94:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #96C2BC and #A4D0D5 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under deuteranopia (reduced green sensitivity), #96C2BC and #A4D0D5 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under tritanopia (reduced blue sensitivity), #96C2BC and #A4D0D5 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #EDF8FE as the background, #A4D0D5 for cards and surfaces, #96C2BC as the primary brand color, #CCE1E7 as the accent, and #141D1A for text (a computed darker shade of Taupe, 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 Ash Canyon accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.38:1 (#98A4A0 on #EDF8FE). 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?
Ash (#96C2BC) 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.