Paper Cream Ember
Paper Cream Ember: a soft neutral triadic palette of #FEF0CC, #C9E2E5, #DBBED9, #BEB895, #9CA7AA. Warm, creamy and inviting; best contrast 2.17:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on beige, gray, pink, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.17:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Biscuit#FEF0CC
A very light, muted beige (Biscuit) that brings soft, quiet warmth. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Swimming#C9E2E5
A very light, neutral teal (Swimming) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Girl Crush#DBBED9
A light, muted purple (Girl Crush) that brings a creative, premium air. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Green Tea#BEB895
A light, muted yellow (Green Tea) that brings a bright, hopeful note. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Harbour Mist#9CA7AA
A light, neutral teal (Harbour Mist) that brings a coastal freshness. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.46:1Poor 1/5
- On black18.55:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly95% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Cream | Background | #FEF0CC | 96% |
| ≈ Powder Blue | Surface | #C9E2E5 | 90% |
| ≈ Silver | Primary | #DBBED9 | 83% |
| ≈ Khaki | Accent | #BEB895 | 78% |
| ≈ Taupe | Text | #9CA7AA | 72% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #141C1F for text.
:root {
--color-background: #fef0cc;
--color-surface: #c9e2e5;
--color-primary: #dbbed9;
--color-accent: #beb895;
--color-text: #141c1f;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #fef0cc;
--color-surface: #c9e2e5;
--color-primary: #dbbed9;
--color-accent: #beb895;
--color-ink: #141c1f;
}
About this palette
Paper Cream Ember is palette number 990 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a triadic scheme, and it is anchored by Cream (#FEF0CC), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as warm, creamy and inviting. Its colors run from Cream (#FEF0CC) at the light end to Taupe (#9CA7AA) at the dark end, covering 72% to 96% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Cream #FEF0CC: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 96% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
2. ≈ Powder Blue #C9E2E5: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 90% lightness and a chroma of 0.027, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Silver #DBBED9: suggested role primary. It is a magenta color with 83% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
4. ≈ Khaki #BEB895: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 78% lightness and a chroma of 0.048.
5. ≈ Taupe #9CA7AA: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 72% lightness and a chroma of 0.013, so it behaves like a neutral.
Harmony and structure
Three hues are spaced about a third of the wheel apart. Triadic palettes feel balanced and playful, because no single hue family dominates.
In this palette the hues fall in the yellow and magenta families, spread across 239 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 warm: 2 of its 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.037 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 warm, creamy and inviting.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Cream (#FEF0CC) with Taupe (#9CA7AA) at a contrast ratio of 2.17:1, 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 (#FEF0CC), so this page suggests #141C1F for text, a darkened Taupe that reaches 15.25:1. 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: #FEF0CC as the background, #C9E2E5 for cards and surfaces, #DBBED9 as the primary brand color, #BEB895 as the accent, and #141C1F 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.
Choose one hue to dominate, one to support and one for small accents, so the palette stays lively without becoming chaotic.
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 Cream Ember accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.17:1 (#FEF0CC on #9CA7AA). 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 (#DBBED9) 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 warm, creamy and inviting feel works well.