Charcoal & Charcoal, Gray Color Palette — PaletteCSS
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Charcoal & Charcoal, Gray Color Palette

#1C1C1C 28, 28, 28
#3D3D3D 61, 61, 61
#787878 120, 120, 120
#C8C8C8 200, 200, 200
#1C1C1C
Color 1
#3D3D3D
Color 2
#787878
Color 3
#C8C8C8
Color 4
:root {
  --color-1: #1C1C1C;
  --color-2: #3D3D3D;
  --color-3: #787878;
  --color-4: #C8C8C8;
}
colors: {
  'palette-1': '#1C1C1C',
  'palette-2': '#3D3D3D',
  'palette-3': '#787878',
  'palette-4': '#C8C8C8',
}
const palette = [
  '#1C1C1C',
  '#3D3D3D',
  '#787878',
  '#C8C8C8',
];
$color-1: #1C1C1C;
$color-2: #3D3D3D;
$color-3: #787878;
$color-4: #C8C8C8;
Palette Codes 4 COLORS

This is a neutral, calm and understated 4-colour palette pairing strongly contrasting colours for real visual punch.

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Added Jun 2026
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About this color palette

This is a neutral, calm and understated 4-colour palette pairing strongly contrasting colours for real visual punch. It is anchored by Charcoal (#1C1C1C) and reads as well balanced in lightness, with an average saturation of 0% and lightness of 40%. It makes a clean, flexible base for minimal, content-focused designs.

The colors in this palette

Charcoal #1C1C1C

rgb(28, 28, 28) · hsl(0, 0%, 11%)

A deep, low-lightness tone — strong for text, headings and bold accents.

Charcoal #3D3D3D

rgb(61, 61, 61) · hsl(0, 0%, 24%)

A deep, low-lightness tone — strong for text, headings and bold accents.

Gray #787878

rgb(120, 120, 120) · hsl(0, 0%, 47%)

A soft, muted tone that suits calm backgrounds and large surfaces.

Light Gray #C8C8C8

rgb(200, 200, 200) · hsl(0, 0%, 78%)

A light, airy tone — ideal for backgrounds and subtle fills.

Accessibility & contrast

Colour contrast decides whether text stays readable. Here is how each pair of colours in this palette performs when one is used as text on the other, measured against the WCAG standard (AA needs 4.5:1, AAA needs 7:1).

TextBackgroundRatioAAAAA
#1C1C1C #C8C8C8 10.19:1 Pass Pass
#3D3D3D #C8C8C8 6.49:1 Pass Fail
#1C1C1C #787878 3.86:1 Fail Fail
#787878 #C8C8C8 2.64:1 Fail Fail
#3D3D3D #787878 2.46:1 Fail Fail
#1C1C1C #3D3D3D 1.57:1 Fail Fail

How to use these colors

  • Background — Light Gray (#C8C8C8): the lightest tone — a clean base for large areas
  • Text — Charcoal (#1C1C1C): the darkest tone — readable for body copy and headings
  • Primary — Charcoal (#1C1C1C): the most saturated tone — buttons, links and key UI
  • Accent — Charcoal (#3D3D3D): a secondary highlight for badges and details

Colors that pair with this palette

Want to extend this palette? These colours pair naturally with its dominant Charcoal tone, based on colour-wheel harmony. Tap a swatch to explore that colour family.

Frequently asked questions

What colours are in this palette?

This palette has 4 colours: Charcoal (#1C1C1C), Charcoal (#3D3D3D), Gray (#787878) and Light Gray (#C8C8C8).

Is this a warm or cool colour palette?

It is largely neutral, built from low-saturation tones that stay flexible and understated.

What are the hex codes for this palette?

The hex codes are #1C1C1C, #3D3D3D, #787878 and #C8C8C8. You can copy them as CSS variables, Tailwind, SCSS or JSON from the code panel above.

Is this palette accessible for text?

Yes — Charcoal text on Light Gray reaches a contrast ratio of 10.19:1, which meets the WCAG AAA standard for readable text.

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