Charcoal and Chalk: a charcoal gray website color palette
Charcoal is softer than pure black and easier on the eyes at length. Chalk-white text and a single amber accent give it focus without decoration.
#1C1D1F
Background
#26282B
Surface
#ECECEA
Text
#F2A33A
Accent
#8A9099
Highlight
The palette as a real page
Make the first impression the one they remember.
The Charcoal and Chalk palette set as a real page: #ECECEA text on #1C1D1F, every action in #F2A33A.
Designed first
Surface #26282B keeps cards distinct from the page.
Built in minutes
Surface #26282B keeps cards distinct from the page.
Live in one click
Surface #26282B keeps cards distinct from the page.
Headings in Inter Tight, body in Inter.
Contrast
- AaBody text on the page#ECECEA on #1C1D1F14.2:1AAA
- AaBody text on cards#ECECEA on #26282B12.4:1AAA
- AaAccent links and icons on the page#F2A33A on #1C1D1F8.0:1AAA
- AaHighlight on the page#8A9099 on #1C1D1F · large text5.2:1AA
- AaPage color on an accent button#1C1D1F on #F2A33A · large text8.0:1AAA
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text; AAA needs 7:1. Check any pair in the contrast checker.
Copy the palette
:root {
--color-background: #1C1D1F;
--color-surface: #26282B;
--color-text: #ECECEA;
--color-accent: #F2A33A;
--color-highlight: #8A9099;
}Every color and what it is for
| Role | HEX | RGB | HSL | Use it for | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AaBackground | #1C1D1F | rgb(28, 29, 31) | hsl(220, 5%, 12%) | The page itself, behind everything. Text on it reads best in white. | About 60% |
| AaSurface | #26282B | rgb(38, 40, 43) | hsl(216, 6%, 16%) | Cards, panels, the header and form fields, set apart from the page. Text on it reads best in white. | About 20 to 30% |
| AaText | #ECECEA | rgb(236, 236, 234) | hsl(60, 5%, 92%) | Headings and body copy: every word meant to be read. Text on it reads best in black. | All reading text |
| AaAccent | #F2A33A | rgb(242, 163, 58) | hsl(34, 88%, 59%) | Buttons, links and active states only, so the next action is always obvious. Text on it reads best in black. | About 10% |
| AaHighlight | #8A9099 | rgb(138, 144, 153) | hsl(216, 7%, 57%) | Small moments: badges, success states, a key number or tag. Text on it reads best in black. | A few percent |
The accent, from 50 to 900
Five colors cover the page; a real site also needs lighter and darker steps of the accent for hover states, tinted backgrounds, borders and focus rings. These are mixed from #F2A33A toward white and black, with 500 as the accent itself.
- 50
#FEFAF5 - 100
#FDF1E1 - 200
#FADFBA - 300
#F8CC93 - 400
#F5B765 - 500
#F2A33A - 600
#CE8B31 - 700
#A56F27 - 800
#79521D - 900
#523714
@theme {
--color-accent-50: #FEFAF5;
--color-accent-100: #FDF1E1;
--color-accent-200: #FADFBA;
--color-accent-300: #F8CC93;
--color-accent-400: #F5B765;
--color-accent-500: #F2A33A;
--color-accent-600: #CE8B31;
--color-accent-700: #A56F27;
--color-accent-800: #79521D;
--color-accent-900: #523714;
}More website color palettes
Questions, answered.
The things people ask before they start building.
What colors are best for a charcoal gray website?
Charcoal is softer than pure black and easier on the eyes at length. Chalk-white text and a single amber accent give it focus without decoration. The Charcoal and Chalk palette uses #1C1D1F for the page, #ECECEA for text, #F2A33A for actions and #8A9099 as a highlight.
Is the Charcoal and Chalk palette accessible?
Body text scores 14.2:1 against the background, which passes WCAG AAA. Every pairing a site uses is scored on this page.
What are the hex codes for the Charcoal and Chalk palette?
Background #1C1D1F, Surface #26282B, Text #ECECEA, Accent #F2A33A, Highlight #8A9099. Every color is listed on this page in HEX, RGB and HSL, with CSS and Tailwind variables to copy.
How should I use these colors on a charcoal gray website?
Use #1C1D1F for about 60% of the page, #26282B for cards and panels, #ECECEA for all reading text, and keep #F2A33A for buttons and links only, about 10% of the page, so actions stand out. Save #8A9099 for small details such as badges and success states.
Can an AI website builder pick a color palette for me?
Yes. Orlume (orlume.site) decides the palette, typography and layout for your brief in its design pass, before any code is written, then builds the site in React and Next.js and deploys it in one click.
Still stuck? Email usOr let Orlume pick the colors for you.
Describe the site you want. Watch it get designed, not just generated. Then publish it to its own orlume.site address.
- Free to start
- No card required
- Publish to a live URL
- You own the code