1---2name: color-palettes3description: Curated color palettes by mood and industry with anti-generic rules, WCAG contrast reference tables, dark mode derivation formulas, and named palette tokens. Covers brand color, accessibility compliance, and the anti-patterns that make palettes look AI-generated. Use proactively when selecting or creating a color system for a brand or product, verifying WCAG contrast compliance for text and UI elements, avoiding overused or generic color combinations, deriving dark mode variants from a light palette, or matching palette mood to industry and emotional context.4---56# Color Palettes78Curated palettes organized by mood and industry. Each palette is tested for WCAG contrast compliance and designed to avoid generic AI color choices.910## Purpose1112- Provide distinctive, intentional color systems — not defaults13- Map palettes to industries and emotional contexts14- Enforce contrast compliance from the start15- Ban overused AI-generated color clichés1617---1819## Named Palettes2021| Name | Primary | Secondary | Accent | Neutral | Mood | Best For |22|------|---------|-----------|--------|---------|------|----------|23| Midnight Authority | #1a1f36 | #2d3a6e | #c9a84c | #e8e6e1 | Trust, power | Finance, legal, enterprise |24| Digital Garden | #2d5a27 | #8b6b4a | #e8d5b7 | #f5f2ed | Growth, natural | Wellness, sustainability, organic |25| Neon Pulse | #0a0a0a | #00d4ff | #ff2d6b | #1a1a2e | Energy, edge | Gaming, nightlife, entertainment |26| Warm Mineral | #c4a882 | #8b7355 | #6b8f71 | #f0ebe4 | Craft, authenticity | Hospitality, artisan, boutique |27| Arctic Precision | #0f172a | #1e40af | #38bdf8 | #f1f5f9 | Clarity, technical | SaaS, developer tools, analytics |28| Terracotta Studio | #c2703e | #8e4e2e | #2c4a3e | #faf6f1 | Warmth, creative | Architecture, interior design, craft |29| Deep Ocean | #0c1821 | #1b4965 | #5fa8d3 | #bee9e8 | Depth, calm | Healthcare, meditation, marine |30| Ember Signal | #1c1917 | #dc2626 | #f97316 | #fafaf9 | Urgency, action | Emergency, fitness, news |31| Sage Library | #2f3e28 | #5c6b4f | #d4a574 | #f5f0e8 | Wisdom, heritage | Education, publishing, archives |32| Violet Dusk | #1e1b4b | #5b21b6 | #c084fc | #f5f3ff | Imagination, premium | Creative tools, music, luxury tech |33| Copper & Slate | #78350f | #44403c | #d97706 | #f5f5f4 | Industrial, reliable | Manufacturing, logistics, B2B |34| Rose Gold Luxe | #1c1917 | #be185d | #f9a8d4 | #fdf2f8 | Elegance, feminine | Beauty, fashion, jewelry |35| Moss & Stone | #365314 | #78716c | #a3e635 | #fafaf9 | Grounded, eco | Outdoor, conservation, agriculture |36| Ink & Paper | #09090b | #27272a | #fafafa | #f4f4f5 | Editorial, stark | Publishing, portfolio, minimalist |37| Tropical Heat | #134e4a | #0d9488 | #fbbf24 | #f0fdfa | Vibrant, exotic | Travel, food, lifestyle |38| Charcoal Blueprint | #171717 | #3b82f6 | #60a5fa | #f5f5f5 | Technical, precise | Engineering, data, infrastructure |39| Burnt Sienna | #431407 | #9a3412 | #fdba74 | #fff7ed | Artisanal, bold | Food & beverage, restaurants |40| Frosted Glass | #f8fafc | #64748b | #0ea5e9 | #e2e8f0 | Light, airy | Productivity, notes, clean UI |41| Royal Ink | #1e1b4b | #312e81 | #818cf8 | #eef2ff | Regal, confident | Consulting, professional services |42| Forest Floor | #1a2e05 | #4d7c0f | #a16207 | #fefce8 | Rich, organic | Wine, gourmet, natural products |43| Concrete & Neon | #18181b | #27272a | #22d3ee | #f4f4f5 | Urban, modern | Streetwear, urban culture, music |44| Parchment & Iron | #292524 | #78716c | #a8a29e | #faf5f0 | Timeless, serious | Law, government, institutional |45| Sunset Mesa | #7c2d12 | #ea580c | #fcd34d | #fffbeb | Warm, adventurous | Travel, outdoor, Western |46| Nordic Frost | #f1f5f9 | #94a3b8 | #0284c7 | #e2e8f0 | Clean, Scandinavian | Furniture, lifestyle, wellness |47| Electric Midnight | #020617 | #7c3aed | #06b6d4 | #0f172a | Bold, futuristic | AI/ML, crypto, cutting-edge tech |4849---5051## Industry Selection Rules5253| Industry | Recommended Characteristics | Avoid |54|----------|---------------------------|-------|55| Finance / Legal | Dark navy, gold accents, high contrast | Bright neons, playful colors |56| Healthcare | Cool blues/greens, calming, high readability | Reds as primary (alarm association) |57| E-commerce | High-contrast CTAs, warm accents for trust | Low-contrast text, muted CTAs |58| SaaS / Dev Tools | Cool neutrals, blue-family accents, clean | Warm earth tones (feels unfocused) |59| Luxury / Fashion | Deep darks, metallic accents, restrained palette | Bright primaries, generic blues |60| Food & Beverage | Warm earth, appetizing tones (amber, terracotta) | Cool grays, clinical blues |61| Education | Sage/forest greens, warm paper tones | Aggressive reds, neons |62| Gaming / Entertainment | High saturation, dark backgrounds, neon accents | Muted pastels, corporate blues |6364---6566## Anti-Generic Bans6768These colors and combinations are BANNED — they signal lazy, default AI design:6970| Banned | Why |71|--------|-----|72| Bootstrap blue `#0d6efd` | Framework default, not a design choice |73| Material purple `#6200ee` | Instantly recognizable as Material default |74| Generic gray-on-white `#f5f5f5` bg + `#333` text | Zero personality, default starter |75| "Startup blue" `#4285f4` + white | Google blue clone, seen on 10,000 landing pages |76| Purple-to-pink gradient as hero | The single most overused AI-generated visual |77| Blue-to-purple gradient buttons | Signals "made by AI" or "Stripe clone" |78| `#6c757d` as secondary | Bootstrap secondary default |79| Any Tailwind default palette used verbatim | Not a design decision |8081---8283## Dark Mode Derivation8485Transform any light palette to dark mode:8687| Property | Light → Dark Rule |88|----------|-------------------|89| Background | Invert: lightest → `#0a0a0a` to `#1a1a1a` range |90| Text | Invert: darkest → `#e4e4e7` to `#fafafa` range |91| Primary | Reduce saturation 10-15%, keep hue |92| Accent | Increase lightness 10-15% for visibility |93| Borders | Use `rgba(255,255,255,0.1)` instead of gray |94| Shadows | Replace with subtle glow or border treatment |95| Surfaces | Layer: bg +2% lightness per elevation level |9697---9899## WCAG Contrast Quick Reference100101| Combination | Ratio | Passes |102|-------------|-------|--------|103| `#000000` on `#ffffff` | 21:1 | AAA |104| `#1a1a1a` on `#ffffff` | 17.4:1 | AAA |105| `#374151` on `#ffffff` | 8.9:1 | AAA |106| `#6b7280` on `#ffffff` | 4.6:1 | AA |107| `#9ca3af` on `#ffffff` | 2.9:1 | FAIL |108| `#ffffff` on `#1e40af` | 9.4:1 | AAA |109| `#ffffff` on `#3b82f6` | 3.1:1 | FAIL for text |110| `#ffffff` on `#dc2626` | 4.6:1 | AA |111| `#fafafa` on `#0a0a0a` | 19.8:1 | AAA |112113**Rule of thumb:** If primary color is lighter than `#4a5568`, don't use white text on it — use dark text instead.114115---116117## Validation Checklist118119- [ ] Palette has clear emotional/brand rationale (not "it looks nice")120- [ ] All text/background combos meet 4.5:1 contrast121- [ ] UI elements meet 3:1 contrast122- [ ] No banned colors or combinations used123- [ ] Dark mode variant defined with proper derivation124- [ ] Palette matches industry characteristics125- [ ] At least 5 colors: primary, secondary, accent, neutral-light, neutral-dark
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