Palette

Old Tome Wisdom

Evoking the quiet charm and intellectual depth of an old library, full of forgotten stories.

earthretro5 colors

More earth palettes

Preview

See it in context.

Interface

New

Ready when you are.

A quick look at how Old Tome Wisdom 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 Old Tome Wisdom.

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

Data visualization

#5C3A2C#7A8C6A#9C2C2C#F0DCC9#8A795C

Palette guide

How to use Old Tome Wisdom

Overview

The "Old Tome Wisdom" palette captures the quiet charm and intellectual depth of an ancient library, full of forgotten stories. It features a deep, authoritative brown (#5C3A2C), a muted sage green (#7A8C6A), a rich, striking burgundy (#9C2C2C), a creamy parchment tone (#F0DCC9), and an earthy taupe (#8A795C). This palette is genuinely useful for designers and developers seeking to evoke a sense of history, knowledge, and thoughtful sophistication. Its unique combination of deep, earthy tones with a subtle pop of burgundy creates a compelling and balanced aesthetic for various design projects, from digital interfaces to print media.

Best used for

Academic publishing design
Intellectual blog themes
Vintage book cover design
Historical society branding
Refined personal portfolios
Literary event promotion

Suggested color roles

primary

Use #5C3A2C as a strong, grounding color for headings, main navigation, or key interactive elements, reflecting intellectual authority.

secondary

Apply #8A795C for supporting content, subheadings, or larger background areas, providing an earthy and calming presence.

accent

Utilize #9C2C2C as a powerful accent for important calls to action, highlights, or decorative flourishes, adding a touch of distinguished drama.

background

Employ #F0DCC9 as the primary background color, creating a light, inviting, and authentic parchment-like canvas.

text

For optimal readability, use #5C3A2C or a deep black for body text and important headlines against lighter backgrounds.

Accessibility notes

Ensure #5C3A2C text has strong contrast against #F0DCC9 for excellent readability.
Use #9C2C2C for important text on #F0DCC9, verifying it meets contrast accessibility standards.
Avoid pairing #7A8C6A with #8A795C for small text due to potential low contrast.
Verify contrast ratios for all interactive elements, especially those using the lighter tones.

Recommended combinations

Book & Binding

Classic layout: light parchment background, dark text/elements, and a rich burgundy accent for emphasis.

#F0DCC9 · #5C3A2C · #9C2C2C

Muted Lore

Creates a soft, earthy section with a muted green base, an earthy mid-tone, and a light highlight, ideal for subtle content.

#7A8C6A · #8A795C · #F0DCC9

Scholarly Depth

Uses a dark background with light text/elements and a muted green accent for a sophisticated, high-contrast design.

#5C3A2C · #F0DCC9 · #7A8C6A

CSS variables

:root {
  --old-tome-wisdom-1: #5C3A2C;
  --old-tome-wisdom-2: #7A8C6A;
  --old-tome-wisdom-3: #9C2C2C;
  --old-tome-wisdom-4: #F0DCC9;
  --old-tome-wisdom-5: #8A795C;
}

Tailwind config

theme: {
  extend: {
    colors: {
      "old-tome-wisdom": {
        1: "#5C3A2C",
        2: "#7A8C6A",
        3: "#9C2C2C",
        4: "#F0DCC9",
        5: "#8A795C",
      }
    }
  }
}

Hex values

Color 1#5C3A2C

Color 2#7A8C6A

Color 3#9C2C2C

Color 4#F0DCC9

Color 5#8A795C

Accessibility

Contrast checker

2.8:1Fail

1.3:1Fail

7.5:1AAA

2.4:1Fail

2.8:1Fail

2.1:1Fail

2.7:1Fail

1.2:1Fail

1.3:1Fail

2.1:1Fail

5.6:1AA

1.8:1Fail