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Dusty Blue Color Palette – HEX, RGB & Design Inspiration

Color Details

HEX: #D9E0EC

RGB: 217, 224, 236

HEX: #CBDCE7

RGB: 203, 220, 231

HEX: #A0A9B2

RGB: 160, 169, 178

HEX: #66696C

RGB: 102, 105, 108

HEX: #252525

RGB: 37, 37, 37

WCAG Accessibility Checker
Contrast ratios and WCAG compliance for text readability. AAA is enhanced conformance, AA is standard, and 4.5:1 minimum for normal text.

Text on White/Black Backgrounds

#D9E0EC
On White
1.33:1
Fail
On Black
15.82:1
AAA (Enhanced)
#CBDCE7
On White
1.41:1
Fail
On Black
14.93:1
AAA (Enhanced)
#A0A9B2
On White
2.38:1
Fail
On Black
8.81:1
AAA (Enhanced)
#66696C
On White
5.52:1
AA (Standard)
On Black
3.8:1
AA (Large Text)
#252525
On White
15.33:1
AAA (Enhanced)
On Black
1.37:1
Fail

Color Pair Combinations (10 total)

#D9E0EC / #252525
11.55:1
AAA (Enhanced)
#CBDCE7 / #252525
10.9:1
AAA (Enhanced)
#A0A9B2 / #252525
6.43:1
AA (Standard)
#D9E0EC / #66696C
4.16:1
AA (Large Text)
#CBDCE7 / #66696C
3.93:1
AA (Large Text)
#66696C / #252525
2.78:1
Fail
#A0A9B2 / #66696C
2.32:1
Fail
#D9E0EC / #A0A9B2
1.8:1
Fail
#CBDCE7 / #A0A9B2
1.69:1
Fail
#D9E0EC / #CBDCE7
1.06:1
Fail

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
Live UI Preview
See your palette applied to real components with optimized text colors for accessibility
WCAG Guidelines

Recommended Text Colors

Aa
Primary
15.82:1 (AAA)
Aa
Secondary
14.93:1 (AAA)
Aa
Accent
8.81:1 (AAA)
Aa
Background
5.52:1 (AA)
Aa
Neutral
15.33:1 (AAA)

Buttons

Optimized for readability
Primary: 15.82:1 AAA
Secondary: 14.93:1 AAA
Accent: 8.81:1 AAA

Form Elements

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Badges & Tags

PrimarySecondaryAccentNeutralOutline

Alerts & Notifications

Information

This is an informational message using your primary color

Gradient Generator
Create beautiful gradients from your palette colors. Copy the CSS code and use directly in your projects.

Horizontal (Left to Right)

background: linear-gradient(to right, #D9E0EC 0%, #CBDCE7 25%, #A0A9B2 50%, #66696C 75%, #252525 100%);

Vertical (Top to Bottom)

background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #D9E0EC 0%, #CBDCE7 25%, #A0A9B2 50%, #66696C 75%, #252525 100%);

Diagonal (Top Left to Bottom Right)

background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #D9E0EC 0%, #CBDCE7 25%, #A0A9B2 50%, #66696C 75%, #252525 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
Color Blindness Simulator
See how your palette appears to people with different types of color vision deficiency (CVD). Approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females have some form of color blindness.

Normal Vision

No color vision deficiency

Color Swatches

#D9E0EC

#CBDCE7

#A0A9B2

#66696C

#252525

Full Palette View

How people with Normal Vision see it:

Color Psychology & Brand Analysis
Understand the emotional impact, brand personality, and psychological effects of your color palette

Overall Mood & Feel

Calm, professional, and trustworthy

Emotional Impact

Calming and contemplative, promoting feelings of trust, stability, and peace. The balanced lightness creates versatility across different contexts

Psychological Effect

This 5-color palette creates a calm, professional, and trustworthy. 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

Reliable
Professional
Stable
Secure
Trustworthy

Perfect For These Industries

Technology
Corporate
Finance & Banking
Healthcare

Target Audience

Business professionals and decision-makers seeking reliability and competence

Individual Color Psychology

#D9E0EC

Peaceful and airy

Emotions Evoked

Calm
Serenity
Openness
Peace

Personality Traits

Trustworthy
Dependable
Intelligent
Professional
Calm

Brand Traits

Reliable
Professional
Secure
Stable
Trustworthy

Ideal Industries

Finance & Banking
Technology
Healthcare
Corporate
Insurance
Social Media
Aviation

Marketing Use

Most popular color globally. Builds trust and reduces stress. Ideal for corporate brands, financial services, and healthcare. Can suppress appetite.

Cultural Meanings

Western: Trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence
Eastern: Immortality, spirituality, depth, stability
Global: Most universally liked color, depth, stability

Color Harmony Analysis

Palette Mood

Light & AiryBalancedDark & Bold

Temperature

CoolNeutral

This palette combines light & airy and balanced and dark & bold moods with cool and neutral tones, making it versatile for various design applications.

Professional Implementation Guide

This complementary dusty blue palette features 5 carefully selected cool tones that create a calm and professional aesthetic. With high contrast levels and muted saturation, this palette is optimized for web interfaces and mobile apps.

Web Design & Development

For web development, implement this palette with CSS variables for easy theme switching. The high contrast makes it ideal for accessible interfaces meeting WCAG AA standards.

  • 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 cool tones provide excellent battery efficiency on OLED screens. Use the strong color contrast 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 #D9E0EC as the dominant color for headers and #252525 for accents. These colors translate well to print with minimal adjustment.

  • 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 Dusty Blue:

60%

Dominant Color

#D9E0EC

Use #D9E0EC as your primary color for backgrounds, main content areas. This blue tone should occupy about 60% of your design space.

30%

Secondary Color

#A0A9B2

Apply #A0A9B2 as your secondary color for supporting elements and section dividers. Allocate approximately 30% of your layout to this color.

10%

Accent Color

#252525

Reserve #252525 for accent elements like buttons, links, and important highlights. This black accent should be used sparingly (10% of design) to draw attention to key actions.

Professional Best Practices

Smart Usage Tips

  • Add warm accent colors to create focal points and prevent designs from feeling too cold
  • 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

3

Associated Tags

6

Categories

2232

Community Likes

Color Analysis & Technical Guide

Detailed breakdown of each color's role, characteristics, and optimal applications. This complementary palette creates a calm and professional aesthetic perfect for web interfaces and mobile apps.

Individual Color Breakdown

Each color in this cool palette has been analyzed for its properties and ideal usage scenarios. The high contrast and muted saturation ensure excellent readability and accessibility.

  • #D9E0EC

    BLUE

    #D9E0EC serves as the primary/dominant color in this palette. This light blue (moderately saturated) brings trust and tranquility Use it for backgrounds, containers, and large surface areas.

    Light toneH: 218°S: 33%L: 89%
  • #CBDCE7

    BLUE

    #CBDCE7 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This light blue (moderately saturated) brings trust and tranquility Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.

    Light toneH: 204°S: 37%L: 85%
  • #A0A9B2

    BLUE

    #A0A9B2 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium blue (muted) brings trust and tranquility Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.

    Light toneH: 210°S: 10%L: 66%
  • #66696C

    GRAY

    #66696C serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium gray (muted) brings neutrality and balance Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.

    Dark toneH: 210°S: 3%L: 41%
  • #252525

    BLACK

    #252525 serves as the accent/highlight color in this palette. This dark black (muted) brings elegance and authority Use it for call-to-action buttons, links, important notifications, and interactive elements.

    Dark toneH: 0°S: 0%L: 15%

Palette Characteristics

This palette exhibits distinct characteristics that make it particularly suitable for specific design applications and industries.

Color Temperaturecool

Cool tones convey professionalism, trust, and calmness. Ideal for corporate and tech applications.

Contrast Levelhigh

High contrast ensures excellent readability and meets WCAG accessibility standards for most text combinations.

Saturationmuted

Muted saturation offers sophistication and reduces visual fatigue, ideal for content-heavy applications.

Brightness Rangebalanced

Balanced brightness provides flexibility for both light and dark design elements.

💡 Pro Tips for This Palette

  • Perfect for: web interfaces, mobile apps, corporate branding, business websites. The complementary color relationship creates natural visual flow.
  • Mood & Psychology: This palette evokes a calm and professional feeling, making it ideal for brands seeking to convey those qualities.
  • Accessibility: Excellent contrast makes this palette naturally accessible. Most color combinations will meet WCAG AA standards.
  • Extensions: Create tints (add white) and shades (add black) to expand this 5-color palette into a comprehensive design system.
  • Cultural Context: Cool tones are generally perceived as professional worldwide but always research cultural color meanings.

Export Formats

JSON
CSS Variables
Tailwind Config
SCSS Variables
Android XML

Explore Dusty Blue Palette

The Dusty Blue color palette is a thoughtfully curated collection of hues that evoke feelings of serenity and professionalism, making it an ideal choice for designers seeking to create a calming yet bold visual identity. At its core, this palette is defined by a range of gentle blues, from the light and airy D9E0EC to the deeper, richer tones of A0A9B2, which collectively conjure the image of a clear sky on a warm summer day. As the palette unfolds, it reveals a nuanced balance of cool, muted tones that invite the viewer to relax and engage with the design.

Delving deeper into the individual colors that comprise the Dusty Blue palette, we find that each shade plays a distinct role in creating a harmonious visual experience. The lightest color, D9E0EC, serves as a versatile background or accent hue, bringing a sense of airiness and freedom to the design. In contrast, CBDCE7 offers a slightly deeper, more muted take on the blue theme, providing a soothing middle ground that ties the palette together. A0A9B2, with its subtle grey undertones, adds a touch of sophistication and balance, while the darker, moodier tones of 66696C and 252525 introduce a sense of depth and contrast, grounding the design and preventing it from feeling too ethereal. By combining these colors in thoughtful ways, designers can craft a visual narrative that is at once calming, professional, and engaging.

The Dusty Blue palette is surprisingly versatile, lending itself to a wide range of practical applications across various design disciplines. For instance, it could be used to create a soothing and professional website or app, with D9E0EC serving as the primary background color and A0A9B2 used as an accent hue to draw attention to key elements. In branding and marketing contexts, this palette could help to establish a company or product as trustworthy, reliable, and creative, with the bold, darker tones of 66696C and 252525 used to add emphasis and create visual interest. By leveraging the unique characteristics of the Dusty Blue palette, designers can develop a consistent visual identity that resonates with their target audience and sets them apart from the competition.

The colors that comprise the Dusty Blue palette also have a profound impact on viewer perception and behavior, with each hue influencing the emotional and psychological response to the design. The prevalence of blue tones, for example, can create a sense of calmness and trust, while the muted, desaturated quality of the colors helps to reduce visual noise and promote focus. The introduction of darker, bolder tones, such as 66696C and 252525, can add a sense of energy and dynamism to the design, encouraging viewers to engage more deeply with the content. By carefully balancing these colors and considering their psychological implications, designers can craft a visual experience that is both aesthetically pleasing and highly effective.

For designers seeking to get the most out of the Dusty Blue palette, it is worth exploring complementary color combinations and pairing suggestions that can enhance the overall visual impact of the design. One approach might be to introduce a touch of warm, earthy color to balance out the cool, blue tones, such as a muted coral or beige. Alternatively, designers could experiment with pairing the Dusty Blue palette with a bold, vibrant accent color to create a striking visual contrast. Regardless of the specific approach, it is essential to remember that the key to successful color design lies in balance, harmony, and a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological implications of each color choice. By embracing these principles and experimenting with the Dusty Blue palette, designers can unlock a world of creative possibilities and develop a visual identity that truly resonates with their audience.

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.

Dusty Blue Color Palette palette visualization

Categories & Tags

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about using and implementing the dusty blue palette effectively in your projects.