Back to palettes

Palette

Cartographer's Parchment

Timeless and authentic hues recalling the worn texture and faded inks of ancient maps and scrolls.

earthnatural5 colors
More earth palettes

Preview

See it in context.

Interface

New

Ready when you are.

A quick look at how Cartographer's Parchment reads on buttons, badges, and alerts before you commit.

This alert border and accent use the palette's detail color.

Marketing banner

Launch

Built with Cartographer's Parchment.

A bolder treatment that stretches the primary and secondary colors across a full gradient banner.

Data visualization

#F5DEB3#D2B48C#CD853F#A0522D#8B4513

Palette guide

How to use Cartographer's Parchment

Overview

The "Cartographer's Parchment" palette offers timeless and authentic hues, recalling the worn texture and faded inks of ancient maps and scrolls. It features a light parchment yellow #F5DEB3, a warm tan #D2B48C, a rich medium brown #CD853F, a darker russet brown #A0522D, and a deep saddle brown #8B4513. This cohesive and earthy combination is perfect for designs that aim for a classic, historical, or rustic aesthetic. Designers can leverage these hex codes for vintage branding, editorial layouts, or digital interfaces that evoke a sense of timelessness and adventure. Developers will find this palette ideal for applications requiring a natural, understated, and elegant user experience.

Best used for

  • Historical documentary interfaces
  • Vintage book cover design
  • Rustic wedding invitations
  • Themed digital maps
  • Heritage site branding
  • Classic game environments

Suggested color roles

primary

#A0522D (Russet Brown) - A deep, grounding brown, excellent for main headings, important text, or key graphical elements, providing a strong anchor.

secondary

#CD853F (Medium Brown) - A rich, warm brown that complements the primary, ideal for secondary information, navigation backgrounds, or content panels.

accent

#D2B48C (Tan) - A warm, inviting tan that brightens the palette, perfect for subtle highlights, interactive states, or as a contrasting element.

background

#F5DEB3 (Parchment Yellow) - A soft, creamy off-white, providing an excellent neutral canvas for content, enhancing readability and an aged paper feel.

text

#8B4513 (Saddle Brown) or a deep charcoal like #333333 is ideal for text on #F5DEB3, #D2B48C, and #CD853F.

Accessibility notes

  • #F5DEB3 (Parchment Yellow) provides excellent contrast for dark text like #8B4513 or #A0522D.
  • Ensure sufficient contrast when using #D2B48C (Tan) or #CD853F (Medium Brown) for text; prefer dark text.
  • #A0522D (Russet Brown) and #8B4513 (Saddle Brown) offer strong contrast for white or very light text.
  • Avoid placing light text on lighter browns if possible, for better readability.

Recommended combinations

Ancient Scroll

For creating authentic-looking document backgrounds, text areas, or vintage-style branding.

#F5DEB3 · #D2B48C · #8B4513

Worn Leather

Ideal for subtle UI elements, informational panels, or backgrounds where a rich, earthy look is desired.

#CD853F · #A0522D · #F5DEB3

Explorer's Ink

Excellent for emphasizing key details, navigation elements, or graphic accents that need a grounded, classic feel.

#8B4513 · #D2B48C · #CD853F

CSS variables

:root {
  --cartographer-s-parchment-1: #F5DEB3;
  --cartographer-s-parchment-2: #D2B48C;
  --cartographer-s-parchment-3: #CD853F;
  --cartographer-s-parchment-4: #A0522D;
  --cartographer-s-parchment-5: #8B4513;
}

Tailwind config

theme: {
  extend: {
    colors: {
      "cartographer-s-parchment": {
        1: "#F5DEB3",
        2: "#D2B48C",
        3: "#CD853F",
        4: "#A0522D",
        5: "#8B4513",
      }
    }
  }
}

Related searches

antique parchment color schemerustic map palettevintage brown toneshistorical web designold paper colors

Palette colors

Hex values

Color 1#F5DEB3
·
Color 2#D2B48C
·
Color 3#CD853F
·
Color 4#A0522D
·
Color 5#8B4513
·

Accessibility

Contrast checker

1
2
3
4
5
1
1.5:1Fail
2.3:1Fail
4.3:1AA18
5.4:1AA
2
1.5:1Fail
1.5:1Fail
2.8:1Fail
3.6:1AA18
3
2.3:1Fail
1.5:1Fail
1.9:1Fail
2.4:1Fail
4
4.3:1AA18
2.8:1Fail
1.9:1Fail
1.3:1Fail
5
5.4:1AA
3.6:1AA18
2.4:1Fail
1.3:1Fail

Similar palettes

More like Cartographer's Parchment

View all earth
Ancient Amphora Vessel
Ancient Relic Dust
Antique Map Parchment
Worn Leather Study
Aegean Faded Fresco
Aged Copper Patina