Ohio State Buckeyes Color Palette – HEX, RGB & Design Inspiration
Color Details
HEX: #000000
RGB: 0, 0, 0
HEX: #666666
RGB: 102, 102, 102
HEX: #BB0000
RGB: 187, 0, 0
HEX: #666666
RGB: 102, 102, 102
HEX: #000000
RGB: 0, 0, 0
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, #000000 0%, #666666 25%, #BB0000 50%, #666666 75%, #000000 100%);Vertical (Top to Bottom)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #000000 0%, #666666 25%, #BB0000 50%, #666666 75%, #000000 100%);Diagonal (Top Left to Bottom Right)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #000000 0%, #666666 25%, #BB0000 50%, #666666 75%, #000000 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
#000000
#666666
#BB0000
#666666
#000000
Full Palette View
How people with Normal Vision see it:
Overall Mood & Feel
Energetic, warm, and inviting
Emotional Impact
Stimulating and energetic, evoking feelings of excitement, warmth, and action. The balanced lightness creates versatility across different contexts
Psychological Effect
This 5-color palette creates a energetic, warm, and inviting. 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
Affluent consumers seeking premium, high-quality products and experiences
Individual Color Psychology
#000000
Sophisticated and powerful
Emotions Evoked
Personality Traits
Brand Traits
Ideal Industries
Marketing Use
Conveys luxury, power, and sophistication. Makes colors stand out when used as background. Popular in high-end fashion and technology. Can be overwhelming if overused.
Cultural Meanings
Color Harmony Analysis
Palette Mood
Temperature
This palette combines dark & bold and balanced moods with neutral and warm tones, making it versatile for various design applications.
Professional Implementation Guide
This monochromatic ohio state buckeyes palette features 5 carefully selected warm tones that create a dramatic and sophisticated aesthetic. With low contrast levels and muted saturation, this palette is optimized for .
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 #000000 as the dominant color for headers and #000000 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 Ohio State Buckeyes:
Dominant Color
#000000Use #000000 as your primary color for headers, hero sections, and primary CTAs. This black tone should occupy about 60% of your design space.
Secondary Color
#BB0000Apply #BB0000 as your secondary color for subtle backgrounds and card components. Allocate approximately 30% of your layout to this color.
Accent Color
#000000Reserve #000000 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 white or black text overlays to improve readability on colored backgrounds
- •Balance warm tones with neutral whites or grays to create visual breathing room
- •Ensure sufficient lighting contrast for text elements—use light text on dark backgrounds
- •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
2
Associated Tags
6
Categories
1183
Community Likes
Color Analysis & Technical Guide
Detailed breakdown of each color's role, characteristics, and optimal applications. This monochromatic palette creates a dramatic and sophisticated aesthetic perfect for .
Individual Color Breakdown
Each color in this warm palette has been analyzed for its properties and ideal usage scenarios. The low contrast and muted saturation ensure harmonious visual relationships.
#000000
BLACK
#000000 serves as the primary/dominant color in this palette. This dark black (muted) brings elegance and authority Use it for headers, navigation bars, and brand elements.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 0%L: 0%#666666
GRAY
#666666 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: 0°S: 0%L: 40%#BB0000
RED
#BB0000 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium red (highly saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 100%L: 37%#666666
GRAY
#666666 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: 0°S: 0%L: 40%#000000
BLACK
#000000 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: 0%
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.
Low contrast creates subtle, sophisticated aesthetics but requires careful attention to text legibility.
Muted saturation offers sophistication and reduces visual fatigue, ideal for content-heavy applications.
Dark tones create dramatic, sophisticated aesthetics and save battery on OLED displays.
💡 Pro Tips for This Palette
- Perfect for: . The monochromatic color relationship creates natural visual flow.
- Mood & Psychology: This palette evokes a dramatic and sophisticated 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 Ohio State Buckeyes Palette
The Ohio State Buckeyes color palette is a dramatic and evocative combination of colors that instantly evoke the passion and energy of the Buckeyes spirit. This palette is all about depth and warmth, with a range of dark, muted tones that create a sense of calmness and focus. At its core, the palette is built around the rich, bold shade of bb0000, a deep maroon color that adds a pop of vibrancy to the overall design. This color is expertly balanced by the surrounding shades of 666666, a dark grey tone that provides a sense of stability and sophistication, while the 000000 provides a dramatic and sleek background that ties the entire palette together.
As we delve deeper into the palette, it becomes clear that each color plays a unique and important role in creating the overall aesthetic. The 666666 shade, which appears twice in the palette, serves as a versatile bridge between the darker 000000 and the brighter bb0000, adding depth and nuance to the design. The 000000, on the other hand, provides a sense of drama and contrast, drawing the viewer's eye to specific elements of the design. Meanwhile, the bb0000 adds a touch of warmth and energy, evoking the excitement and passion of the Buckeyes brand. This careful balance of colors creates a sense of harmony and cohesion, making the palette feel both dynamic and calming at the same time.
The Ohio State Buckeyes color palette is a versatile and practical choice for designers working on a wide range of projects, from websites and apps to branding and marketing materials. Its dark, muted tones make it an excellent fit for designs that require a sense of sophistication and elegance, while the bold bb0000 adds a touch of excitement and energy. This palette would be particularly well-suited to designs that need to evoke a sense of warmth and comfort, such as a website for a university or a non-profit organization. Additionally, the palette's calming and focusing qualities make it an excellent choice for designs that require a sense of clarity and simplicity, such as a mobile app or a marketing brochure.
The colors in the Ohio State Buckeyes palette have a profound impact on viewer perception and behavior, influencing the way we feel and respond to a design. The dark, muted tones create a sense of calmness and focus, while the bold bb0000 adds a touch of excitement and energy. This combination of colors can help to build trust and credibility, while also creating a sense of urgency and motivation. The palette's warm and inviting tones can also help to create a sense of connection and community, making it an excellent choice for designs that need to evoke a sense of belonging and shared identity. By leveraging the psychological power of color, designers can use the Ohio State Buckeyes palette to create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and emotionally resonant.
For designers looking to get the most out of the Ohio State Buckeyes color palette, there are a few key tips and tricks to keep in mind. One approach is to use the bb0000 as an accent color, pairing it with the darker 666666 and 000000 to create a sense of contrast and drama. Alternatively, designers can use the 666666 as a background color, and then add pops of bb0000 to create a sense of energy and excitement. In terms of complementary colors, the palette pairs well with a range of earthy tones, such as olive green and terracotta, which can help to add a sense of warmth and depth to the design. By experimenting with different pairings and combinations, designers can unlock the full potential of the Ohio State Buckeyes color palette, and create designs that are both beautiful and effective.
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.

Categories & Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about using and implementing the ohio state buckeyes palette effectively in your projects.
