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A little color. A new perspective.

Published Jun 27, 2026

Fold Lines in Blue Light

Test in Color Lab

Five colors, endless possibilities. Select a color to copy its HEX.

A cool archive palette inspired by route maps opened beneath reading-room light. Graphite, quiet slate, electric ultramarine, pale steel, and cool grey organize scans, locations, dates, and catalogue notes.

The feeling

A quiet map archive shaped by cool grey paper, graphite notes, and one vivid blue index

Explore this palette ↓

The mood

Imagine a folded route map opened across a quiet table, its creases catching cool window light while a blue index tab marks the next place to inspect. The palette is measured and neutral, with one vivid signal for moving through a dense archive.

Reading Graphite anchors the catalogue. Map Slate groups records, Index Blue marks the active route, Pale Steel separates supporting details, and Archive Mist keeps scans and notes clear.

How to use it

Use Archive Mist for search pages and scan viewers, with Reading Graphite for headings, dates, locations, and catalogue notes. Map Slate can frame thumbnails or group related routes. Use Index Blue for the active map pin, selected filter, or current result, and Pale Steel for metadata rows and quiet dividers.

Start with 66% Archive Mist, 24% Map Slate, and 10% Index Blue across surfaces. Add graphite text and steel details as the content requires. Pair every selected route or location with a label or icon.

What to watch

Reading Graphite on Archive Mist reaches about 13.84:1 and on Pale Steel about 9.13:1. It measures only about 3.11:1 on Map Slate and 2.88:1 on Index Blue, so neither colored plane should carry small graphite text. Put labels on a mist or steel inset and keep blue focused on selection and wayfinding.

Do not spread Index Blue across large competing panels; its strength comes from rarity. Keep slate quieter than the scans, and use fold lines and map marks as structure rather than visual clutter.

A considered balance

Make room for
the right colors.

Use Archive Mist for search and viewer canvases and Reading Graphite for readable content. Apply Map Slate to thumbnail groups, Index Blue to the active route or filter, and Pale Steel to metadata rows, insets, and dividers.

Start with a generous background, introduce your primary color, then use the highlight sparingly. The ratios are a guide for large surfaces, not a fixed recipe.

66 Base
24 Main
10 Point
Archive Mist

Background & breathing room

Map Slate

Cards, graphics & sections

Index Blue

Focal areas & key details

Background · Primary · Highlight. Use text and accent colors where their roles call for them.

Text on background
13.84:1 #20242B on #EEF2F6 · AAA normal text
Text on primary
3.11:1 #20242B on #667080 · AA large text only

Best available text on primary

The original text has low contrast (3.11:1). This example shows the strongest available pair: Archive Mist (#EEF2F6) on #667080 at 4.45:1. It still falls below 4.5:1 for normal text. Use a different background to meet that contrast requirement.

Text on highlight
2.88:1 #20242B on #2457FF · Not suitable for text

Recommended text on highlight

The original text has low contrast (2.88:1). This example uses Archive Mist (#EEF2F6) from the same palette instead of #20242B on #2457FF, improving contrast to 4.81:1. This meets WCAG AA for normal text.

Text on accent
9.13:1 #20242B on #B9C8D8 · AAA normal text

Contrast is calculated for these specific pairs. Large text means at least 24 px regular or about 18.7 px bold. Check every pairing in your final design.

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES

One palette.
A world of possibilities.

See how these five colors come together in a website, a poster, a brand, and a presentation. Explore a different palette and watch the mood change.

ONDA STUDIO / WEB PREVIEW
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INDEPENDENT STUDIO · SEOUL

Design with
today’s color.

A little space for fresh ideas. A considered palette for whatever comes next.

Prepared design previews, recolored with this palette.

COLOR NOTE

Do not use small Reading Graphite text on Map Slate (about 3.11:1) or Index Blue (about 2.88:1). Use an Archive Mist or Pale Steel inset for labels, and keep ultramarine limited to active routes and selections.

From inspiration to creation

Your next idea,
in these colors.

Add a considered color direction to the design you already have in mind. Your layout and instructions stay yours.

  1. Write your design request.
  2. Choose a color guide and copy it.
  3. Paste it after your request.
  4. Review the result and check readability.

Try it in the design or AI tool you already use. 

[Color guide — coloring.today / fold-lines-in-blue-light]
Apply this palette to the design requested above. Preserve the requested layout, content, and interactions. If an explicit requirement conflicts with this color guide, identify the conflict instead of silently overriding it.

Text: Reading Graphite #20242B
Primary: Map Slate #667080
Highlight: Index Blue #2457FF
Accent: Pale Steel #B9C8D8
Background: Archive Mist #EEF2F6

Mood: A quiet map archive shaped by cool grey paper, graphite notes, and one vivid blue index
Suggested uses: Archives
Application note: Use Archive Mist for search and viewer canvases and Reading Graphite for readable content. Apply Map Slate to thumbnail groups, Index Blue to the active route or filter, and Pale Steel to metadata rows, insets, and dividers.
Avoid: Do not use small Reading Graphite text on Map Slate (about 3.11:1) or Index Blue (about 2.88:1). Use an Archive Mist or Pale Steel inset for labels, and keep ultramarine limited to active routes and selections.
Use approximately 66% background, 24% primary, and 10% highlight across large surfaces. These ratios are a starting point, not a rigid rule. Use text and accent colors according to their roles.

Keep the original HEX values. Choose readable text/background pairings without silently changing the palette. Do not introduce unrelated colors.

[Color guide — coloring.today / fold-lines-in-blue-light]
Apply this palette to the design requested above. Preserve the requested layout, content, and interactions. If an explicit requirement conflicts with this color guide, identify the conflict instead of silently overriding it.

Text: Reading Graphite #20242B
Primary: Map Slate #667080
Highlight: Index Blue #2457FF
Accent: Pale Steel #B9C8D8
Background: Archive Mist #EEF2F6

Mood: A quiet map archive shaped by cool grey paper, graphite notes, and one vivid blue index
Suggested uses: Archives
Application note: Use Archive Mist for search and viewer canvases and Reading Graphite for readable content. Apply Map Slate to thumbnail groups, Index Blue to the active route or filter, and Pale Steel to metadata rows, insets, and dividers.
Avoid: Do not use small Reading Graphite text on Map Slate (about 3.11:1) or Index Blue (about 2.88:1). Use an Archive Mist or Pale Steel inset for labels, and keep ultramarine limited to active routes and selections.
Use approximately 66% background, 24% primary, and 10% highlight across large surfaces. These ratios are a starting point, not a rigid rule. Use text and accent colors according to their roles.

Use these semantic tokens consistently. Keep the original HEX values.
:root {
  --color-text: #20242B;
  --color-primary: #667080;
  --color-highlight: #2457FF;
  --color-accent: #B9C8D8;
  --color-background: #EEF2F6;
}
Background is the canvas, text is readable copy, primary is a key surface, highlight draws attention, and accent adds small secondary details.

[Color guide — coloring.today / fold-lines-in-blue-light]
Apply this palette to the design requested above. Preserve the requested layout, content, and interactions. If an explicit requirement conflicts with this color guide, identify the conflict instead of silently overriding it.

Text: Reading Graphite #20242B
Primary: Map Slate #667080
Highlight: Index Blue #2457FF
Accent: Pale Steel #B9C8D8
Background: Archive Mist #EEF2F6

Mood: A quiet map archive shaped by cool grey paper, graphite notes, and one vivid blue index
Suggested uses: Archives
Application note: Use Archive Mist for search and viewer canvases and Reading Graphite for readable content. Apply Map Slate to thumbnail groups, Index Blue to the active route or filter, and Pale Steel to metadata rows, insets, and dividers.
Avoid: Do not use small Reading Graphite text on Map Slate (about 3.11:1) or Index Blue (about 2.88:1). Use an Archive Mist or Pale Steel inset for labels, and keep ultramarine limited to active routes and selections.
Use approximately 66% background, 24% primary, and 10% highlight across large surfaces. These ratios are a starting point, not a rigid rule. Use text and accent colors according to their roles.

Text/background contrast: 13.84:1. This is one measured pair, not a guarantee for the whole palette. Check every actual text/background pairing against WCAG AA. Prefer readable combinations from the original colors, keep visible keyboard focus, and never communicate state through color alone. If no original pairing meets the requirement, propose a separately labeled derived color with its original HEX, proposed HEX, purpose and measured contrast. Never overwrite the source palette.

This guide preserves the original HEX values. Review the output before using it.

Bring it into your project

Five colors.
Ready to use.

Copy the same colors as semantic CSS variables. Every preview and prompt on this page uses this palette. 

:root {
  --color-text: #20242B;
  --color-primary: #667080;
  --color-highlight: #2457FF;
  --color-accent: #B9C8D8;
  --color-background: #EEF2F6;
}

A little more inspiration.

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