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Palette

Rusting Industrial Steel

Deep, aged browns and oxidized reds, echoing the textured beauty of decaying industrial metal.

earthretro5 colors
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Launch

Built with Rusting Industrial Steel.

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

Data visualization

#8B4513#A0522D#CD5C5C#5D4A3D#36454F

Palette guide

How to use Rusting Industrial Steel

Overview

The Rusting Industrial Steel palette offers a robust collection of deep, oxidized tones, perfect for projects requiring a weathered, retro, or gritty aesthetic. Featuring rich hues like the deep charcoal of #36454F and the warm, earthy #5D4A3D, it evokes the solemn beauty of aged metal. Striking rust accents, such as the vibrant #CD5C5C (Indian Red) and the more subdued #8B4513 (Saddle Brown) and #A0522D (Sienna), provide compelling contrasts. This palette is a go-to for designers and developers aiming to convey strength, history, and a touch of raw, industrial elegance in their digital and physical creations.

Best used for

  • Industrial branding and websites
  • Retro game environments and UI
  • Weathered product packaging
  • Dystopian or post-apocalyptic themes
  • Album art for rock or metal genres
  • Architectural visualizations of old factories

Suggested color roles

primary

Use #36454F as the foundational, dominant color for large sections, providing a stable, dark base.

secondary

Apply #5D4A3D for supporting elements, adding warmth and texture without overpowering the primary.

accent

Employ #CD5C5C (Indian Red) for eye-catching highlights, calls to action, or critical warnings, contrasting sharply with the darker tones.

background

Utilize #36454F for dark, moody backgrounds or a lighter, neutral off-white (not in palette) for contrast.

text

For dark backgrounds, use a light, near-white text (e.g., #E5E5E5). For lighter backgrounds, use #36454F or a dark charcoal.

Accessibility notes

  • Ensure sufficient contrast when pairing #CD5C5C with mid-tones; it works best as an accent on dark backgrounds.
  • Use a light text color (e.g., #E5E5E5) with #36454F and #5D4A3D for optimal readability.
  • Avoid using #8B4513 or #A0522D for small text unless on a very light background.
  • Test color combinations for WCAG AA compliance, especially for critical UI elements.

Recommended combinations

Gritty Contrast

Ideal for headers, hero sections, or graphic elements needing strong visual impact with a dark, industrial feel.

#36454F · #CD5C5C · #5D4A3D

Aged Metal

Perfect for backgrounds and content blocks where a warm, weathered texture is desired, offering depth and natural variation.

#5D4A3D · #8B4513 · #A0522D

Subtle Rust

Use #36454F for primary text, #8B4513 for secondary elements, and #CD5C5C for subtle highlights or interactive states.

#36454F · #8B4513 · #CD5C5C

CSS variables

:root {
  --rusting-industrial-steel-1: #8B4513;
  --rusting-industrial-steel-2: #A0522D;
  --rusting-industrial-steel-3: #CD5C5C;
  --rusting-industrial-steel-4: #5D4A3D;
  --rusting-industrial-steel-5: #36454F;
}

Tailwind config

theme: {
  extend: {
    colors: {
      "rusting-industrial-steel": {
        1: "#8B4513",
        2: "#A0522D",
        3: "#CD5C5C",
        4: "#5D4A3D",
        5: "#36454F",
      }
    }
  }
}

Related searches

industrial color paletterust aesthetic colorsdark earthy tonesweathered metal schemeretro industrial design

Palette colors

Hex values

Color 1#8B4513
·
Color 2#A0522D
·
Color 3#CD5C5C
·
Color 4#5D4A3D
·
Color 5#36454F
·

Accessibility

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