Paper Silver Ember
Paper Silver Ember: a soft neutral complementary palette of #F5F5E8, #E0E4D9, #C9C5DD, #B8B3C4, #A1A299. Pure, minimal and calm; best contrast 2.34:1.
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 2.34:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Futon#F5F5E8
A very light, neutral green (Futon) that brings a fresh, natural feel. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Tofu#E0E4D9
A very light, neutral gray (Tofu) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Girl Crush#C9C5DD
A light, neutral purple (Girl Crush) that brings quiet luxury. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Cosmic#B8B3C4
A light, neutral gray (Cosmic) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Walrus#A1A299
A light, neutral gray (Walrus) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.57:1Poor 1/5
- On black19.10:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly99% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ivory | Background | #F5F5E8 | 97% |
| ≈ Fog | Accent | #E0E4D9 | 91% |
| ≈ Silver | Primary | #C9C5DD | 83% |
| ≈ Silver | Surface | #B8B3C4 | 78% |
| ≈ Taupe | Text | #A1A299 | 71% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #1B1B14 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #f5f5e8;
--color-surface: #b8b3c4;
--color-primary: #c9c5dd;
--color-accent: #e0e4d9;
--color-text: #1b1b14;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #f5f5e8;
--color-surface: #b8b3c4;
--color-primary: #c9c5dd;
--color-accent: #e0e4d9;
--color-ink: #1b1b14;
}
About this palette
Paper Silver Ember is palette number 4,110 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Silver (#C9C5DD), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as pure, minimal and calm. Its colors run from Ivory (#F5F5E8) at the light end to Taupe (#A1A299) at the dark end, covering 71% to 97% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ivory #F5F5E8: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 97% lightness and a chroma of 0.017, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Fog #E0E4D9: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 91% lightness and a chroma of 0.015, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Silver #C9C5DD: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 83% lightness and a chroma of 0.033.
4. ≈ Silver #B8B3C4: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 78% lightness and a chroma of 0.024, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ Taupe #A1A299: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 71% lightness and a chroma of 0.013, so it behaves like a neutral.
Harmony and structure
Two hues sit opposite each other on the wheel, each with a close companion. Complementary palettes have built-in tension: the opposite hues make each other look more vivid.
In this palette the hues fall in the violet 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: 0 of its 1 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.021 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 Ivory (#F5F5E8) with Taupe (#A1A299) at a contrast ratio of 2.34:1, 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 (#F5F5E8), so this page suggests #1B1B14 for text, a darkened Taupe that reaches 15.74:1. 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: #F5F5E8 as the background, #B8B3C4 for cards and surfaces, #C9C5DD as the primary brand color, #E0E4D9 as the accent, and #1B1B14 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.
Give one side of the wheel to the background and structure and the other to calls to action. A small amount of the opposing hue goes a long way.
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 Silver Ember accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.34:1 (#F5F5E8 on #A1A299). 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?
Silver (#C9C5DD) 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.