Clay Brown Cascade
Clay Brown Cascade: a earthy split complementary palette of #513501, #73590F, #678A9B, #A39DBF, #FBCFA0. Natural, handmade and sunbaked; best contrast 7.81:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, blue, purple, with a moderate lightness range. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 7.81:1, enough for body text. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Moelleux au Chocolat#513501
A dark, muted brown (Moelleux au Chocolat) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Coffee Adept#73590F
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Coffee Adept) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Horizon#678A9B
A medium, muted blue (Horizon) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Imperial Lilac#A39DBF
A light, muted purple (Imperial Lilac) that brings quiet luxury. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Peach Beach#FBCFA0
A very light, muted beige (Peach Beach) that brings an inviting neutral base. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white11.29:1Very good 4/5
- On black14.53:1Excellent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Brown | Text | #513501 | 35% |
| ≈ Brown | Primary | #73590F | 48% |
| ≈ Teal | Surface | #678A9B | 61% |
| ≈ Dusty Rose | Accent | #A39DBF | 71% |
| ≈ Apricot | Background | #FBCFA0 | 88% |
:root {
--color-background: #fbcfa0;
--color-surface: #678a9b;
--color-primary: #73590f;
--color-accent: #a39dbf;
--color-text: #513501;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #fbcfa0;
--color-surface: #678a9b;
--color-primary: #73590f;
--color-accent: #a39dbf;
--color-ink: #513501;
}
About this palette
Clay Brown Cascade is palette number 3,674,972 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a earthy palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Brown (#73590F), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as natural, handmade and sunbaked. Its colors run from Apricot (#FBCFA0) at the light end to Brown (#513501) at the dark end, covering 35% to 88% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Brown #513501: suggested role text. It is a orange color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.073.
2. ≈ Brown #73590F: suggested role primary. It is a yellow color with 48% lightness and a chroma of 0.092.
3. ≈ Teal #678A9B: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 61% lightness and a chroma of 0.047.
4. ≈ Dusty Rose #A39DBF: suggested role accent. It is a violet color with 71% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
5. ≈ Apricot #FBCFA0: suggested role background. It is a orange color with 88% lightness and a chroma of 0.079.
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 orange, yellow, cyan and violet families, spread across 225 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 warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.068 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 natural, handmade and sunbaked.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Brown (#513501) with Apricot (#FBCFA0) at a contrast ratio of 7.81:1, 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 Apricot background (#FBCFA0), #513501 and #73590F can be used for text at AA contrast.
On the Brown text color (#513501), #FBCFA0 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: #FBCFA0 as the background, #678A9B for cards and surfaces, #73590F as the primary brand color, #A39DBF as the accent, and #513501 for text. 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 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 Brown Cascade accessible?
Its best pair reaches 7.81:1 (#513501 on #FBCFA0). 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?
Brown (#73590F) 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 natural, handmade and sunbaked feel works well.