Linen Apricot Nectar
Linen Apricot Nectar: a soft neutral split complementary palette of #97A4BF, #B1B9D6, #E8C6B3, #DBDDCB, #ECF4FF. Light, balanced and effortless; best contrast 2.26:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, beige, gray, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.26:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Old World#97A4BF
A light, muted blue (Old World) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Over the Moon#B1B9D6
A light, muted blue (Over the Moon) that brings quiet confidence. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Taco#E8C6B3
A very light, muted orange (Taco) that brings a sunny, approachable mood. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Gin#DBDDCB
A very light, neutral gray (Gin) that brings calm restraint. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Snow#ECF4FF
A very light, neutral white (Snow) that brings space and clarity. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.50:1Poor 1/5
- On black18.95:1Excellent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Dusty Rose | Text | #97A4BF | 72% |
| ≈ Silver | Accent | #B1B9D6 | 79% |
| ≈ Apricot | Primary | #E8C6B3 | 85% |
| ≈ Fog | Surface | #DBDDCB | 89% |
| ≈ White | Background | #ECF4FF | 96% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #111A2D for text.
:root {
--color-background: #ecf4ff;
--color-surface: #dbddcb;
--color-primary: #e8c6b3;
--color-accent: #b1b9d6;
--color-text: #111a2d;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #ecf4ff;
--color-surface: #dbddcb;
--color-primary: #e8c6b3;
--color-accent: #b1b9d6;
--color-ink: #111a2d;
}
About this palette
Linen Apricot Nectar is palette number 3,838 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Apricot (#E8C6B3), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as light, balanced and effortless. Its colors run from White (#ECF4FF) at the light end to Dusty Rose (#97A4BF) at the dark end, covering 72% to 96% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Dusty Rose #97A4BF: suggested role text. It is a blue color with 72% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
2. ≈ Silver #B1B9D6: suggested role accent. It is a blue color with 79% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
3. ≈ Apricot #E8C6B3: suggested role primary. It is a orange color with 85% lightness and a chroma of 0.047.
4. ≈ Fog #DBDDCB: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 89% lightness and a chroma of 0.024, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ White #ECF4FF: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 96% lightness and a chroma of 0.017, so it behaves like a neutral.
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 blue and orange families, spread across 222 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-balanced: 1 of its 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.034 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 light, balanced and effortless.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Dusty Rose (#97A4BF) with White (#ECF4FF) at a contrast ratio of 2.26:1, 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 (#ECF4FF), so this page suggests #111A2D for text, a darkened Dusty Rose that reaches 15.66:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under deuteranopia (reduced green sensitivity), #E8C6B3 and #DBDDCB may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #ECF4FF as the background, #DBDDCB for cards and surfaces, #E8C6B3 as the primary brand color, #B1B9D6 as the accent, and #111A2D 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.
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 Linen Apricot Nectar accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.26:1 (#97A4BF on #ECF4FF). 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 (#E8C6B3) 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 light, balanced and effortless feel works well.