Calm Sand Ember
Calm Sand Ember: a muted complementary palette of #6E5D36, #7D7556, #8895B0, #A1ADDB, #E0C488. Relaxed, mature and easy to live with; best contrast 3.78:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, yellow, blue, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.78:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Olivary#6E5D36
A medium, muted brown (Olivary) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Boa#7D7556
A medium, muted yellow (Boa) that brings a bright, hopeful note. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Moon Veil#8895B0
A medium, muted blue (Moon Veil) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Mont Blanc#A1ADDB
A light, muted blue (Mont Blanc) that brings trust and steadiness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Halo#E0C488
A light, moderately saturated beige (Halo) that brings an inviting neutral base. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white6.39:1Good 3/5
- On black12.42:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly97% 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 | #6E5D36 | 49% |
| ≈ Olive | Accent | #7D7556 | 56% |
| ≈ Cornflower | Surface | #8895B0 | 67% |
| ≈ Silver | Primary | #A1ADDB | 75% |
| ≈ Sand | Background | #E0C488 | 83% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #231903 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #e0c488;
--color-surface: #8895b0;
--color-primary: #a1addb;
--color-accent: #7d7556;
--color-text: #231903;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #e0c488;
--color-surface: #8895b0;
--color-primary: #a1addb;
--color-accent: #7d7556;
--color-ink: #231903;
}
About this palette
Calm Sand Ember is palette number 690 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a muted palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Sand (#E0C488), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as relaxed, mature and easy to live with. Its colors run from Sand (#E0C488) at the light end to Slate (#6E5D36) at the dark end, covering 49% to 83% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #6E5D36: suggested role text. It is a yellow color with 49% lightness and a chroma of 0.06.
2. ≈ Olive #7D7556: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 56% lightness and a chroma of 0.046.
3. ≈ Cornflower #8895B0: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 67% lightness and a chroma of 0.043.
4. ≈ Silver #A1ADDB: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 75% lightness and a chroma of 0.068.
5. ≈ Sand #E0C488: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 83% lightness and a chroma of 0.084.
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 yellow and blue families, spread across 188 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. 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-balanced: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.06 makes the saturation balanced.
That combination suits editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands and portfolios, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel relaxed, mature and easy to live with.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Slate (#6E5D36) with Sand (#E0C488) at a contrast ratio of 3.78:1, 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 (#E0C488), so this page suggests #231903 for text, a darkened Slate that reaches 10.24:1. 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: #E0C488 as the background, #8895B0 for cards and surfaces, #A1ADDB as the primary brand color, #7D7556 as the accent, and #231903 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.
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 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 Calm Sand Ember accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.78:1 (#6E5D36 on #E0C488). 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 (#A1ADDB) 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 relaxed, mature and easy to live with feel works well.