Showa era
Olive Buff & Violet Blue
Plate 83 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Olive Buff, Violet Blue.
#c1c494
yellow · 5 palettes
Olive Buff
About Olive Buff
Olive Buff is a mid-tone, muted yellow tone. Its hex value is #c1c494 — that is
RGB 193, 196, 148, or HSL 64°, 29%, 67%.
It holds 11.6:1 contrast against dark, so Olive Buff works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.8:1; on black 11.6:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Olive Buff appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Violet Blue, Pinkish Cinnamon and Blue Violet.
Colours that go with Olive Buff
From a standard colour wheel, Olive Buff anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#c1c494 #9794C4
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#c1c494 #C4AF94 #A9C494
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#c1c494 #94C1C4 #C494C1
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#c1c494 #94A9C4 #AF94C4
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Olive Buff
Olive Buff is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 64°, 29%, 67%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (11.6:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use dark lettering. Pair it with its complement (#9794C4) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#C4AF94 and #A9C494) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Olive Buff
Olive Buff appears in 5 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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