#976D42 Café Cask

    Generate color codes, variations, harmonies, and check contrast ratios.

    Color Conversion

    HEX

    #976d42

    HEX
    #976d42
    HSL
    30, 39, 43
    RGB
    151, 109, 66
    XYZ
    19, 18, 8
    CMYK
    0, 28, 56, 41
    LUV
    49,41,33
    LAB
    49, 12, 30
    HWB
    30, 26, 41

    Variations

    The purpose of this section is to accurately produce tints (pure white added) and shades (pure black added) of your selected color in 10% increments.

    Pro Tip: Use shades for hover states and shadows, tints for highlights and backgrounds.

    Shades

    Darker variations created by adding black to your base color.

    Tints

    Lighter variations created by adding white to your base color.

    Common Use Cases

    • UI component states (hover, active, disabled)
    • Creating depth with shadows and highlights
    • Building consistent color systems

    Design System Tip

    These variations form the foundation of a cohesive color palette. Export them to maintain consistency across your entire project.

    Color Combinations

    Each harmony has its own mood. Use harmonies to brainstorm color combos that work well together.

    How to Use

    Click on any color to copy its hex value. These combinations are mathematically proven to create visual harmony.

    Why It Matters

    Color harmonies create balance and evoke specific emotions in your designs.

    Complement

    A color and its opposite on the color wheel, +180 degrees of hue. High contrast.

    #976d42
    Best for: High-impact designs, CTAs, logos

    Split-complementary

    A color and two adjacent to its complement, +/-30 degrees of hue from the value opposite the main color. Bold like a straight complement, but more versatile.

    Best for: Vibrant yet balanced layouts

    Triadic

    Three colors spaced evenly along the color wheel, each 120 degrees of hue apart. Best to allow one color to dominate and use the others as accents.

    Best for: Playful, energetic designs

    Analogous

    Three colors of the same luminance and saturation with hues that are adjacent on the color wheel, 30 degrees apart. Smooth transitions.

    Best for: Nature-inspired, calming interfaces

    Monochromatic

    Three colors of the same hue with luminance values +/-50%. Subtle and refined.

    Best for: Minimalist, sophisticated designs

    Tetradic

    Two sets of complementary colors, separated by 60 degrees of hue.

    Best for: Rich, diverse color schemes

    Color Theory Principles

    Balance

    Use one dominant color, support with secondary, and accent sparingly.

    Contrast

    Ensure sufficient contrast for readability and accessibility.

    Harmony

    Colors should work together to create a unified visual experience.

    Color Contrast Checker

    Test color combinations to ensure they meet WCAG accessibility standards for text readability.

    Text Color
    Background Color
    Contrast
    1.00
    Fail
    Very poor
    Small text
    ✖︎
    Large text
    ✖︎
    WCAG Standards
    AA:Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Required for most websites.
    AAA:Enhanced contrast ratio of 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. Recommended for optimal accessibility.
    Insufficient contrast for all text sizes - fails WCAG standards.

    Advanced Contrast Checker

    Fine-tune with sliders, multiple previews & more

    Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid.

    - Albert Einstein

    Technical Formats

    Practical Formats

    Color Analysis

    Blindness Simulator

    Creative Aspects

    Frequently asked questions

    What color is #976D42?
    #976D42 is Café Cask – A toasted, mid-deep brown with a warm amber core and muted orange undertone that reads like aged leather kissed by sunlight. It feels grounded and quietly luxurious, evoking handcrafted goods and slow, tactile rituals.
    What does Café Cask symbolize?
    earth/ground, craftsmanship, maturity, reliability, seasonal warmth. In Western contexts this brown signals rustic comfort, heritage, and reliability (e.g., leather, wood). In Japan and parts of East Asia, similar brown tones can suggest modesty and natural simplicity, often used in ceramics and textiles. In South Asian contexts, ochre-brown shades are associated with earthen materials, temples, and traditional dyes, linking the color to both everyday life and ritual.
    Where is Café Cask used in design?
    In spaces or designs Café Cask pulls attention toward tactile materials and handcrafted details, making environments feel intimate and curated. It reduces visual tension compared with sharper, high-chroma colors and encourages slower, more deliberate engagement.
    Which colors go well with Café Cask?
    Café Cask pairs well with #2A6B97, #C89A4B, #B05A2F. #2A6B97: A muted steel blue complementary contrast—creates visual pop and balances warmth (complementary harmony).. #C89A4B: A warm gold-amber analogous accent that enhances the amber core without skewing too bright (analogous harmony).. #B05A2F: A deeper burnt-sienna tone for depth and layered warmth, perfect for tonal shadows and trims (split-analogous harmony)..
    How does Café Cask affect mood?
    Warm reliability with quiet craftsmanship A calming, reassuring sense of authenticity and well-made quality. Key traits: reliability, warmth, heritage, comfort, groundedness.
    Which industries use Café Cask?
    Café Cask is commonly used in specialty coffee & tea, artisan food & beverage, leather goods & furniture. It fits brand archetypes like The Caregiver, The Craftsman.
    What is the history of Café Cask?
    This family of brown-amber tones traces back to ancient earth pigments—natural umbers and ochres used by prehistoric artists and potters. Artists ground iron-rich clays and heated them to produce variations from raw umber to burnt umber, which yield warm, tannic browns like this shade.
    How to use Café Cask in design?
    Maintain contrast and material context: use this color to emphasize texture and craft, never as an isolated flat substitute for neutral function. Best practices: Pair with a cool, desaturated blue (2A6B97) as a complementary accent to create crisp visual contrast for calls to action.; Use textured substrates (kraft, uncoated stock, matte ceramics) so the color reads warm rather than flat.; Introduce a lighter tint (15–30% lighter) as a secondary panel or background to maintain hierarchy without losing warmth..
    Is Café Cask accessible?
    Contrast ratio on white: 4.58:1, on black: 4.58:1. Passes WCAG AA for normal and large text.