pale yellow
pale yellow
light grey
soft yellow
dusty purple
Pastelnear-monochromatic · warm
Pastel colour palettes
Light, gentle colours with softened chroma and low contrast between them. Explore 424 palettes.
Browse all 78 palette collections
Colour pairings & usage tips
Use these colours.
Use pale colours for backgrounds, illustrations and small highlights. Give one hue the lead so the whole design stays gentle.
Text & contrast.
Pastels often sit close together in lightness. Choose a darker foreground for text and check the actual pair before using it on a pale surface.
A pairing to start with.
In Ochre & Mist, #DFAD6E against #DEE0E9 has a contrast ratio of 1.54:1. Keep this pair decorative and choose a higher-contrast foreground for text. This checks opaque colours only; other pairings, transparency and gradients need their own checks.
The five swatches span 78–91% OKLCH lightness. Try different colour roles in the palette generator.