Paper Khaki Willow
Paper Khaki Willow: a soft neutral split complementary palette of #E7FCFD, #CFE1E4, #E1BECF, #D2B09B, #8CADAA. Warm, creamy and inviting; best contrast 2.27:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on white, gray, pink, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.27:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Cold Canada#E7FCFD
A very light, neutral teal (Cold Canada) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Swimming#CFE1E4
A very light, neutral teal (Swimming) that brings clean, modern calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Pink Mist#E1BECF
A light, muted pink (Pink Mist) that brings softness and care. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Soba#D2B09B
A light, muted orange (Soba) that brings a sunny, approachable mood. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Harbour Mist#8CADAA
A light, muted teal (Harbour Mist) that brings a coastal freshness. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.42:1Poor 1/5
- On black19.74:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly96% 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 | #E7FCFD | 98% |
| ≈ Fog | Accent | #CFE1E4 | 90% |
| ≈ Pink | Surface | #E1BECF | 84% |
| ≈ Khaki | Primary | #D2B09B | 78% |
| ≈ Taupe | Text | #8CADAA | 72% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #01201E for text.
:root {
--color-background: #e7fcfd;
--color-surface: #e1becf;
--color-primary: #d2b09b;
--color-accent: #cfe1e4;
--color-text: #01201e;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #e7fcfd;
--color-surface: #e1becf;
--color-primary: #d2b09b;
--color-accent: #cfe1e4;
--color-ink: #01201e;
}
About this palette
Paper Khaki Willow is palette number 3,670 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Khaki (#D2B09B), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as warm, creamy and inviting. Its colors run from White (#E7FCFD) at the light end to Taupe (#8CADAA) at the dark end, covering 72% to 98% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ White #E7FCFD: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 98% lightness and a chroma of 0.022, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Fog #CFE1E4: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 90% lightness and a chroma of 0.02, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Pink #E1BECF: suggested role surface. It is a rose color with 84% lightness and a chroma of 0.046.
4. ≈ Khaki #D2B09B: suggested role primary. It is a orange color with 78% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
5. ≈ Taupe #8CADAA: suggested role text. It is a teal color with 72% lightness and a chroma of 0.036.
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 rose, orange and teal families, spread across 294 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 warm: 2 of its 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.035 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 warm, creamy and inviting.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is White (#E7FCFD) with Taupe (#8CADAA) at a contrast ratio of 2.27:1, 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 (#E7FCFD), so this page suggests #01201E for text, a darkened Taupe that reaches 16.09:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #D2B09B and #8CADAA may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #E7FCFD as the background, #E1BECF for cards and surfaces, #D2B09B as the primary brand color, #CFE1E4 as the accent, and #01201E 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.
Use the lone hue as the dominant brand color and the two flanking hues as secondary and accent colors.
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 Khaki Willow accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.27:1 (#E7FCFD on #8CADAA). 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?
Khaki (#D2B09B) 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 warm, creamy and inviting feel works well.