Quiet Apricot Horizon
Quiet Apricot Horizon: a muted neutral with an accent palette of #5C626E, #6E7381, #858C99, #A9B1C0, #E2C29C. Calm, restrained and sophisticated; best contrast 3.62:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on gray, beige, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.62:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Smoky#5C626E
A medium, neutral gray (Smoky) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Mamba#6E7381
A medium, neutral gray (Mamba) that brings neutral balance. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Gull#858C99
A medium, neutral gray (Gull) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Casper#A9B1C0
A light, neutral gray (Casper) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Laksa#E2C29C
A light, muted beige (Laksa) that brings soft, quiet warmth. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white6.12:1Good 3/5
- On black12.43:1Excellent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Slate | Text | #5C626E | 50% |
| ≈ Slate | Accent | #6E7381 | 56% |
| ≈ Taupe | Surface | #858C99 | 64% |
| ≈ Dusty Rose | Primary | #A9B1C0 | 76% |
| ≈ Apricot | Background | #E2C29C | 83% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #161B24 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #e2c29c;
--color-surface: #858c99;
--color-primary: #a9b1c0;
--color-accent: #6e7381;
--color-text: #161b24;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #e2c29c;
--color-surface: #858c99;
--color-primary: #a9b1c0;
--color-accent: #6e7381;
--color-ink: #161b24;
}
About this palette
Quiet Apricot Horizon is palette number 6,266 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a muted palette built on a neutral with an accent scheme, and it is anchored by Apricot (#E2C29C), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as calm, restrained and sophisticated. Its colors run from Apricot (#E2C29C) at the light end to Slate (#5C626E) at the dark end, covering 50% to 83% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #5C626E: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.021, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Slate #6E7381: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 56% lightness and a chroma of 0.022, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Taupe #858C99: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 64% lightness and a chroma of 0.021, so it behaves like a neutral.
4. ≈ Dusty Rose #A9B1C0: suggested role primary. It is a near-neutral color with 76% lightness and a chroma of 0.023, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ Apricot #E2C29C: suggested role background. It is a orange color with 83% lightness and a chroma of 0.062.
Harmony and structure
Four low-chroma colors form a calm foundation and one saturated color from the far side of the wheel acts as the accent.
In this palette the hues fall in the orange family. Muted palettes keep chroma between 0.035 and 0.09, and lightness between 48% and 84%, 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 0.03 makes the saturation soft.
That combination suits editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands and portfolios, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel calm, restrained and sophisticated.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Slate (#5C626E) with Apricot (#E2C29C) at a contrast ratio of 3.62:1, which is WCAG AA large. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 1 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#E2C29C), so this page suggests #161B24 for text, a darkened Slate that reaches 10.21:1. 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: #E2C29C as the background, #858C99 for cards and surfaces, #A9B1C0 as the primary brand color, #6E7381 as the accent, and #161B24 for text (a computed darker shade of Slate, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Spend the neutrals on backgrounds, text and surfaces, and save the accent for the one thing you want people to notice: a button, a link or a highlight.
Typical uses for a muted palette include editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands, portfolios and calm dashboards. 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 Quiet Apricot Horizon accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.62:1 (#5C626E on #E2C29C). 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?
Dusty Rose (#A9B1C0) 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 editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands, portfolios and calm dashboards, where a calm, restrained and sophisticated feel works well.