Warm Paper

Off-white pages and soft brown ink, like a well-loved notebook, with one fired-clay accent that points the eye to what matters.

warm
calm
friendly

The colours

Each colour has one job. The mock layout uses only pairs that pass AA, and the list shows every pair that is readable, measured rather than guessed.

Unbleached Pagebackground #f6efe3
Fresh Sheetsurface #fffaf2
Walnut Inktext #2b2118
Pencil Shademuted #665443
Fired Clayaccent #a8401b
Bottle Greenaccent-2 #2f6457
Folded Edgeborder #dccdb4

Sample page

A page in Warm Paper

Every word here is drawn in this palette's own colours, using only pairs that pass AA.

Main action

A card on the surface

Secondary details sit a step quieter than the main text.

A small mock layout drawn in the Warm Paper colours.

Accessible pairs

AA pairs (4.5:1 or more) suit body text; AA large pairs (3:1 or more) are for text 24px and larger.

Fresh Sheet on Walnut Ink15.2:1 (AA)
Walnut Ink on Fresh Sheet15.2:1 (AA)
Unbleached Page on Walnut Ink13.8:1 (AA)
Walnut Ink on Unbleached Page13.8:1 (AA)
Folded Edge on Walnut Ink10.1:1 (AA)
Walnut Ink on Folded Edge10.1:1 (AA)
Fresh Sheet on Pencil Shade6.9:1 (AA)
Pencil Shade on Fresh Sheet6.9:1 (AA)
Bottle Green on Fresh Sheet6.6:1 (AA)
Fresh Sheet on Bottle Green6.6:1 (AA)
Pencil Shade on Unbleached Page6.3:1 (AA)
Unbleached Page on Pencil Shade6.3:1 (AA)
Bottle Green on Unbleached Page6.0:1 (AA)
Unbleached Page on Bottle Green6.0:1 (AA)
Fired Clay on Fresh Sheet5.9:1 (AA)
Fresh Sheet on Fired Clay5.9:1 (AA)
Fired Clay on Unbleached Page5.4:1 (AA)
Unbleached Page on Fired Clay5.4:1 (AA)
Folded Edge on Pencil Shade4.6:1 (AA)
Pencil Shade on Folded Edge4.6:1 (AA)
Bottle Green on Folded Edge4.4:1 (AA large)
Folded Edge on Bottle Green4.4:1 (AA large)
Fired Clay on Folded Edge3.9:1 (AA large)
Folded Edge on Fired Clay3.9:1 (AA large)

Copy the idea

The Warm Paper recipe — its idea, colours, accessible pairs and rules — ready to paste into a design tool or an AI assistant, or as design tokens.

# Warm Paper — palette recipe

## The idea
- Off-white pages and soft brown ink, like a well-loved notebook, with one fired-clay accent that points the eye to what matters.

## Use it for
- Personal writing and essays
- Recipe and craft sites
- Small independent shops

## Avoid it when
- The product needs to feel clinical or high-tech
- Screens are mostly dark data dashboards

## Colours
- Unbleached Page (background): #f6efe3
- Fresh Sheet (surface): #fffaf2
- Walnut Ink (text): #2b2118
- Pencil Shade (muted): #665443
- Fired Clay (accent): #a8401b
- Bottle Green (accent-2): #2f6457
- Folded Edge (border): #dccdb4

## Accessible pairs
- Fresh Sheet on Walnut Ink — 15.2:1 (AA)
- Walnut Ink on Fresh Sheet — 15.2:1 (AA)
- Unbleached Page on Walnut Ink — 13.8:1 (AA)
- Walnut Ink on Unbleached Page — 13.8:1 (AA)
- Folded Edge on Walnut Ink — 10.1:1 (AA)
- Walnut Ink on Folded Edge — 10.1:1 (AA)
- Fresh Sheet on Pencil Shade — 6.9:1 (AA)
- Pencil Shade on Fresh Sheet — 6.9:1 (AA)
- Bottle Green on Fresh Sheet — 6.6:1 (AA)
- Fresh Sheet on Bottle Green — 6.6:1 (AA)
- Pencil Shade on Unbleached Page — 6.3:1 (AA)
- Unbleached Page on Pencil Shade — 6.3:1 (AA)
- Bottle Green on Unbleached Page — 6.0:1 (AA)
- Unbleached Page on Bottle Green — 6.0:1 (AA)
- Fired Clay on Fresh Sheet — 5.9:1 (AA)
- Fresh Sheet on Fired Clay — 5.9:1 (AA)
- Fired Clay on Unbleached Page — 5.4:1 (AA)
- Unbleached Page on Fired Clay — 5.4:1 (AA)
- Folded Edge on Pencil Shade — 4.6:1 (AA)
- Pencil Shade on Folded Edge — 4.6:1 (AA)
- Bottle Green on Folded Edge — 4.4:1 (AA large)
- Folded Edge on Bottle Green — 4.4:1 (AA large)
- Fired Clay on Folded Edge — 3.9:1 (AA large)
- Folded Edge on Fired Clay — 3.9:1 (AA large)

## Principles
- Let the paper tone fill most of the page; use the fresh sheet only for cards and inputs.
- Set all long text in walnut ink, never in the clay accent.
- Keep fired clay for one action per screen and for links.
- Use bottle green sparingly for success states and small highlights.
- Draw dividers in the folded-edge tone so they read as creases, not lines.

Design with the "Warm Paper" palette.
The idea: Off-white pages and soft brown ink, like a well-loved notebook, with one fired-clay accent that points the eye to what matters.
It suits: Personal writing and essays.
It suits: Recipe and craft sites.
It suits: Small independent shops.
Do not choose it when: The product needs to feel clinical or high-tech.
Do not choose it when: Screens are mostly dark data dashboards.
Use #f6efe3 (Unbleached Page) as the background colour.
Use #fffaf2 (Fresh Sheet) as the surface colour.
Use #2b2118 (Walnut Ink) as the text colour.
Use #665443 (Pencil Shade) as the muted colour.
Use #a8401b (Fired Clay) as the accent colour.
Use #2f6457 (Bottle Green) as the accent-2 colour.
Use #dccdb4 (Folded Edge) as the border colour.
Set body text only in pairs marked AA (at least 4.5:1); pairs marked AA large (at least 3:1) are for text 24px and larger.
Pair: Fresh Sheet on Walnut Ink — 15.2:1 (AA).
Pair: Walnut Ink on Fresh Sheet — 15.2:1 (AA).
Pair: Unbleached Page on Walnut Ink — 13.8:1 (AA).
Pair: Walnut Ink on Unbleached Page — 13.8:1 (AA).
Pair: Folded Edge on Walnut Ink — 10.1:1 (AA).
Pair: Walnut Ink on Folded Edge — 10.1:1 (AA).
Pair: Fresh Sheet on Pencil Shade — 6.9:1 (AA).
Pair: Pencil Shade on Fresh Sheet — 6.9:1 (AA).
Pair: Bottle Green on Fresh Sheet — 6.6:1 (AA).
Pair: Fresh Sheet on Bottle Green — 6.6:1 (AA).
Pair: Pencil Shade on Unbleached Page — 6.3:1 (AA).
Pair: Unbleached Page on Pencil Shade — 6.3:1 (AA).
Pair: Bottle Green on Unbleached Page — 6.0:1 (AA).
Pair: Unbleached Page on Bottle Green — 6.0:1 (AA).
Pair: Fired Clay on Fresh Sheet — 5.9:1 (AA).
Pair: Fresh Sheet on Fired Clay — 5.9:1 (AA).
Pair: Fired Clay on Unbleached Page — 5.4:1 (AA).
Pair: Unbleached Page on Fired Clay — 5.4:1 (AA).
Pair: Folded Edge on Pencil Shade — 4.6:1 (AA).
Pair: Pencil Shade on Folded Edge — 4.6:1 (AA).
Pair: Bottle Green on Folded Edge — 4.4:1 (AA large).
Pair: Folded Edge on Bottle Green — 4.4:1 (AA large).
Pair: Fired Clay on Folded Edge — 3.9:1 (AA large).
Pair: Folded Edge on Fired Clay — 3.9:1 (AA large).
Follow this rule: Let the paper tone fill most of the page; use the fresh sheet only for cards and inputs.
Follow this rule: Set all long text in walnut ink, never in the clay accent.
Follow this rule: Keep fired clay for one action per screen and for links.
Follow this rule: Use bottle green sparingly for success states and small highlights.
Follow this rule: Draw dividers in the folded-edge tone so they read as creases, not lines.
Apply the idea and the rules above; do not copy any existing website.

:root {
  --color-background: #f6efe3;
  --color-surface: #fffaf2;
  --color-text: #2b2118;
  --color-muted: #665443;
  --color-accent: #a8401b;
  --color-accent-2: #2f6457;
  --color-border: #dccdb4;
}

Download brief (.md)

Where it fits

Use it for

Personal writing and essays
Recipe and craft sites
Small independent shops

Avoid it when

The product needs to feel clinical or high-tech
Screens are mostly dark data dashboards

Principles

Let the paper tone fill most of the page; use the fresh sheet only for cards and inputs.
Set all long text in walnut ink, never in the clay accent.
Keep fired clay for one action per screen and for links.
Use bottle green sparingly for success states and small highlights.
Draw dividers in the folded-edge tone so they read as creases, not lines.

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