Linen Apricot Zephyr
Linen Apricot Zephyr: a soft neutral tetradic palette of #EDF8FB, #DFD9E9, #EBC5BB, #B2B8AB, #9BA4B2. Pure, minimal and calm; best contrast 2.32:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on white, gray, beige, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.32:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Snow#EDF8FB
A very light, neutral white (Snow) that brings light and simplicity. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Scented Spring#DFD9E9
A very light, neutral pink (Scented Spring) that brings gentle playfulness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Rose Haze#EBC5BB
A very light, muted pink (Rose Haze) that brings a warm, expressive tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Ash#B2B8AB
A light, neutral gray (Ash) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Grauzone#9BA4B2
A light, neutral blue (Grauzone) that brings quiet confidence. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.51:1Poor 1/5
- On black19.42:1Excellent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ White | Background | #EDF8FB | 97% |
| ≈ Fog | Accent | #DFD9E9 | 89% |
| ≈ Apricot | Primary | #EBC5BB | 85% |
| ≈ Ash | Surface | #B2B8AB | 77% |
| ≈ Dusty Rose | Text | #9BA4B2 | 72% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #141B25 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #edf8fb;
--color-surface: #b2b8ab;
--color-primary: #ebc5bb;
--color-accent: #dfd9e9;
--color-text: #141b25;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #edf8fb;
--color-surface: #b2b8ab;
--color-primary: #ebc5bb;
--color-accent: #dfd9e9;
--color-ink: #141b25;
}
About this palette
Linen Apricot Zephyr is palette number 270 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Apricot (#EBC5BB), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as pure, minimal and calm. Its colors run from White (#EDF8FB) at the light end to Dusty Rose (#9BA4B2) at the dark end, covering 72% to 97% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ White #EDF8FB: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 97% lightness and a chroma of 0.012, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Fog #DFD9E9: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 89% lightness and a chroma of 0.023, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Apricot #EBC5BB: suggested role primary. It is a red color with 85% lightness and a chroma of 0.046.
4. ≈ Ash #B2B8AB: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 77% lightness and a chroma of 0.019, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ Dusty Rose #9BA4B2: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 72% lightness and a chroma of 0.023, so it behaves like a neutral.
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 family. 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: 1 of its 1 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.025 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 White (#EDF8FB) with Dusty Rose (#9BA4B2) at a contrast ratio of 2.32:1, 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 (#EDF8FB), so this page suggests #141B25 for text, a darkened Dusty Rose that reaches 16.00:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
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: #EDF8FB as the background, #B2B8AB for cards and surfaces, #EBC5BB as the primary brand color, #DFD9E9 as the accent, and #141B25 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 take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
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 Linen Apricot Zephyr accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.32:1 (#EDF8FB on #9BA4B2). 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?
Apricot (#EBC5BB) 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.