African American Skin Tones Color Palette – HEX, RGB & Design Inspiration
Color Details
HEX: #260701
RGB: 38, 7, 1
HEX: #3D0C02
RGB: 61, 12, 2
HEX: #843722
RGB: 132, 55, 34
HEX: #AF6E51
RGB: 175, 110, 81
HEX: #C69076
RGB: 198, 144, 118
Text on White/Black Backgrounds
Color Pair Combinations (10 total)
WCAG Contrast Standards:
- AAA (7:1): Enhanced contrast for maximum readability
- AA (4.5:1): Minimum for normal text (under 18pt)
- AA Large (3:1): Acceptable for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold)
- Fail: Below WCAG standards, not recommended for text
Recommended Text Colors
Horizontal (Left to Right)
background: linear-gradient(to right, #260701 0%, #3D0C02 25%, #843722 50%, #AF6E51 75%, #C69076 100%);Vertical (Top to Bottom)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #260701 0%, #3D0C02 25%, #843722 50%, #AF6E51 75%, #C69076 100%);Diagonal (Top Left to Bottom Right)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #260701 0%, #3D0C02 25%, #843722 50%, #AF6E51 75%, #C69076 100%);Usage Tips:
- Copy the CSS code and paste directly into your stylesheets
- Linear gradients work great for backgrounds and hero sections
- Radial gradients are perfect for spotlights and focus effects
- Conic gradients create eye-catching loading spinners and progress indicators
- Smooth transitions ensure seamless color blending
Normal Vision
No color vision deficiency
Color Swatches
#260701
#3D0C02
#843722
#AF6E51
#C69076
Full Palette View
How people with Normal Vision see it:
Overall Mood & Feel
Energetic, warm, and inviting, with a sophisticated and dramatic atmosphere
Emotional Impact
Stimulating and energetic, evoking feelings of excitement, warmth, and action. The dark tones establish a premium, sophisticated feel ideal for luxury positioning
Psychological Effect
This 5-color palette creates a energetic, warm, and inviting, with a sophisticated and dramatic atmosphere. It stimulates activity and engagement, increasing heart rate and mental alertness. The combination works together to create memorable visual experiences that influence consumer perception, decision-making, and brand recall. The rich variety provides versatility while maintaining cohesive emotional messaging across touchpoints.
Brand Personality Traits
Perfect For These Industries
Target Audience
Active, outgoing individuals who respond to energy and enthusiasm
Individual Color Psychology
#260701
Powerful and sophisticated
Emotions Evoked
Personality Traits
Brand Traits
Ideal Industries
Marketing Use
Creates urgency, stimulates appetite, increases heart rate, and grabs attention. Perfect for clearance sales, food brands, and call-to-action buttons.
Cultural Meanings
Color Harmony Analysis
Palette Mood
Temperature
This palette combines dark & bold and balanced moods with warm tones, making it versatile for various design applications.
Professional Implementation Guide
This monochromatic african american skin tones palette features 5 carefully selected warm tones that create a energetic and passionate aesthetic. With medium contrast levels and vibrant saturation, this palette is optimized for marketing materials and youth brands.
Web Design & Development
For web development, implement this palette with CSS variables for easy theme switching. Consider adding darker variants for better text readability.
- Apply the 60-30-10 rule for visual hierarchy
- Use accent colors for CTAs and hover states
- Maintain consistent color usage across all pages
- Test responsive behavior on multiple devices
Mobile App Interfaces
In mobile applications, these warm tones provide excellent battery efficiency on OLED screens. Use the subtle color variations to define clear touch targets.
- Design both light and dark mode variants
- Consider thumb-reach zones for color placement
- Test under direct sunlight and low light
- Use color to indicate interactive elements
Brand Identity Systems
Build a cohesive brand identity by designating specific colors for specific purposes. Establish your primary brand color from the most distinctive shade and create comprehensive brand guidelines specifying exact usage scenarios.
- Define primary, secondary, and accent colors
- Create usage rules for marketing materials
- Specify minimum sizes and clear space
- Document do's and don'ts for consistency
Frontend Development
Developers can integrate this palette efficiently using modern CSS techniques. Export as CSS variables for maximum flexibility, allowing theme switching and dynamic color updates without rewriting stylesheets.
- Use CSS custom properties for theming
- Implement semantic color naming conventions
- Create utility classes for rapid prototyping
- Consider CSS-in-JS for component-scoped colors
Print Design
For print materials, convert to CMYK using #260701 as the dominant color for headers and #C69076 for accents. These vibrant colors may appear slightly muted in print; request color proofs.
- Add to your design software color library
- Create swatches for quick color access
- Use CMYK values for print production
- Request color proofs before final print
Marketing Campaigns
Marketing materials benefit from consistent color usage that reinforces brand recognition. Apply this palette across email campaigns, landing pages, advertisements, and social media for maximum impact and memorability.
- Maintain color consistency across channels
- A/B test color variations for conversion
- Consider cultural color associations
- Align colors with campaign messaging
Strategic Color Distribution
Professional designers follow the 60-30-10 rule for balanced color distribution. Here's how to apply this principle with the African American Skin Tones:
Dominant Color
#260701Use #260701 as your primary color for backgrounds, main content areas. This red tone should occupy about 60% of your design space.
Secondary Color
#843722Apply #843722 as your secondary color for subtle backgrounds and card components. Allocate approximately 30% of your layout to this color.
Accent Color
#C69076Reserve #C69076 for accent elements like buttons, links, and important highlights. This orange accent should be used sparingly (10% of design) to draw attention to key actions.
Professional Best Practices
✓ Smart Usage Tips
- •Use desaturated versions (reduce saturation by 20-30%) for large background areas to prevent visual fatigue
- •Balance warm tones with neutral whites or grays to create visual breathing room
- •Test your palette across different devices and lighting conditions before finalizing
✗ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- •Don't use all colors equally—establish clear visual hierarchy through color weight
- •Avoid low-contrast text combinations that strain readability
- •Don't rely solely on color to convey meaning (use icons, text, and patterns too)
- •Avoid inconsistent color usage across different pages or screens
- •Don't assume screen colors match print output—always request physical proofs
Palette Overview & Statistics
5
Total Colors
4
Associated Tags
6
Categories
3551
Community Likes
Color Analysis & Technical Guide
Detailed breakdown of each color's role, characteristics, and optimal applications. This monochromatic palette creates a energetic and passionate aesthetic perfect for marketing materials and youth brands.
Individual Color Breakdown
Each color in this warm palette has been analyzed for its properties and ideal usage scenarios. The medium contrast and vibrant saturation ensure harmonious visual relationships.
#260701
RED
#260701 serves as the primary/dominant color in this palette. This dark red (highly saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for headers, navigation bars, and brand elements.
Dark toneH: 10°S: 95%L: 8%#3D0C02
RED
#3D0C02 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark red (highly saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 10°S: 94%L: 12%#843722
RED
#843722 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium red (moderately saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 13°S: 59%L: 33%#AF6E51
ORANGE
#AF6E51 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium orange (moderately saturated) brings creativity and enthusiasm Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 19°S: 37%L: 50%#C69076
ORANGE
#C69076 serves as the accent/highlight color in this palette. This medium orange (moderately saturated) brings creativity and enthusiasm Use it for call-to-action buttons, links, important notifications, and interactive elements.
Light toneH: 19°S: 41%L: 62%
Palette Characteristics
This palette exhibits distinct characteristics that make it particularly suitable for specific design applications and industries.
Warm colors create energy, excitement, and approachability. Perfect for brands targeting emotional connection.
Medium contrast provides visual interest while maintaining readability with proper text color choices.
Vibrant saturation creates bold, attention-grabbing designs perfect for youth brands and creative projects.
Balanced brightness provides flexibility for both light and dark design elements.
💡 Pro Tips for This Palette
- Perfect for: marketing materials, youth brands. The monochromatic color relationship creates natural visual flow.
- Mood & Psychology: This palette evokes a energetic and passionate feeling, making it ideal for brands seeking to convey those qualities.
- Accessibility: Test text combinations carefully with contrast checkers to ensure accessibility compliance.
- Extensions: Create tints (add white) and shades (add black) to expand this 5-color palette into a comprehensive design system.
- Cultural Context: Warm colors may have different meanings across cultures—verify associations with your target market.
Export Formats
Explore African American Skin Tones Palette
The African American Skin Tones color palette is a breathtaking collection of hues that evoke a sense of warmth, richness, and depth, reminiscent of the vibrant tones of human skin. This palette has the power to evoke emotions, create connections, and inspire a sense of community, making it an excellent choice for designers looking to add a personal touch to their work. The palette's monochromatic scheme, with its gradual transition from deep crimson to soft coral, creates a sense of harmony and balance, while its warm, vintage, and modern undertones add a layer of complexity and sophistication.
At the heart of the African American Skin Tones palette lies a range of stunning colors, each with its unique character and role. The darkest shade, 260701, is a deep, cool brown that provides a sense of stability and grounding, while 3D0C02, a rich, bold maroon, adds a touch of luxury and elegance. As we move through the palette, 843722 emerges as a vibrant, crimson-inspired hue that injects energy and passion into any design. The lighter shades, AF6E51 and C69076, introduce a sense of softness and warmth, with the former's pink undertones and the latter's coral-inspired tone creating a sense of playfulness and approachability. These colors work together in perfect harmony, creating a palette that is both visually striking and emotionally resonant.
The African American Skin Tones palette has a wide range of practical applications, from website design and app development to branding and marketing. Designers can use this palette to create a sense of warmth and approachability in their designs, making it an excellent choice for projects that require a personal touch. For example, a website or app that aims to connect with users on an emotional level could use the palette's deeper shades, such as 260701 and 3D0C02, to create a sense of trust and stability, while the lighter shades, AF6E51 and C69076, could be used to add a touch of playfulness and creativity. In branding and marketing, the palette's unique combination of colors can help to create a distinctive and memorable visual identity, setting a brand apart from its competitors.
The colors in the African American Skin Tones palette also have a profound influence on viewer perception and behavior. The palette's warm, crimson-inspired hues, such as 843722, can stimulate feelings of energy and passion, while the softer shades, such as AF6E51 and C69076, can create a sense of calmness and serenity. By using this palette, designers can create a sense of emotional connection with their audience, drawing them in and engaging them on a deeper level. Furthermore, the palette's vintage and modern undertones can add a sense of sophistication and timelessness to any design, making it an excellent choice for projects that require a sense of elegance and refinement.
To get the most out of the African American Skin Tones palette, designers can experiment with complementary colors and pairing suggestions. For example, pairing the palette's deepest shade, 260701, with a bright, contrasting color can create a sense of drama and tension, while combining the lighter shades, AF6E51 and C69076, with a neutral background can add a touch of subtlety and restraint. In terms of design best practices, it is essential to remember that the palette's unique combination of colors is its greatest strength, and designers should avoid using too many additional colors, which can dilute the palette's impact and create visual clutter. By using the African American Skin Tones palette in a thoughtful and considered way, designers can create designs that are not only visually stunning but also emotionally resonant and memorable.
Palette Image
Below is the generated palette image showing all colors in a vertical layout. Perfect for sharing on social media or using as a reference.

Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about using and implementing the african american skin tones palette effectively in your projects.
