What colors are in the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette?

Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 contains 4 colors: Red (#a72144), Pale Lemon Yellow (#ffefae), Calamine BLue (#78cdd0), Warm Gray (#a1a39a). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette belong to?

Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 261 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Calamine BLue, Warm Gray.

Can I use the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 261 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A 4-colour grouping of Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Calamine BLue, Warm Gray, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 261 of Wada's 348 anchors Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Calamine BLue and Warm Gray in the red family — a 4-colour grouping with a refined, warm, bold character, recorded in Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations (six volumes; Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint), and in the public domain by age. Its strongest pairing — Red on Pale Lemon Yellow — reaches a contrast ratio of 6.19:1, meeting the WCAG AA bar for body text, so it holds up for text-on-colour layouts as well as decorative use.

Studio

Taking Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 off the screen

A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this palette is going decides what it needs next.

...onto paper

Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.

Pantone

Color Bridge Guide — coated

Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
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...onto a screen you can trust

Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.

Calibrite

Display Plus HL colorimeter kit

Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
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...by hand

Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.

Kuretake

Gansai Tambi 36

Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: red
Moods: refined, warm, bold
Colors: 4

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Red on Pale Lemon Yellow — 6.19:1 (AA)

Red·Pale Lemon Yellow6.19:1AA
Red·Calamine BLue3.89:1AA Large
Red·Warm Gray2.79:1Fail
Pale Lemon Yellow·Calamine BLue1.59:1Fail
Pale Lemon Yellow·Warm Gray2.22:1Fail
Calamine BLue·Warm Gray1.39:1Fail

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

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Preview

From the editorial · Long read

What 348 Palettes Reveal: A Data Analysis of Sanzo Wada's Dictionary

The most-used colors, which hues dominate, and how many of the 348 historical combinations are legible enough for screen text — measured from the archive.

Read the article →

Colors that go with these shades

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Websites.

Heian era

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Deep safflower crimson against navy — the courtly contrast of Heian-era robes and formal Edo textiles.

Edo era

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

The faded blue of Shinsengumi jackets against shrine-gate vermillion — restrained power.

Muromachi era

Celadon & Unbleached— 青磁と生成

Celadon pottery green beside the unbleached warmth of raw silk.

Edo era

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Mid-grade indigo with the quiet sheen of silver — an understated Edo merchant robe.

Muromachi era

Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey— 刈安と利休鼠

Wild grass yellow tempered by the muted grey favored by the tea master Sen no Rikyū.

Heian era

Royal Purple & Silver— 紫と銀

Imperial purple set against lunar silver — Heian courtly luxury at its quietest.

See the full color palettes for websites collection →

Questions about Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

What colors are in the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette?: Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 contains 4 colors: Red (#a72144), Pale Lemon Yellow (#ffefae), Calamine BLue (#78cdd0), Warm Gray (#a1a39a). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).
When was the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette created?: This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.
What style or era does the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette belong to?: Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 261 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Calamine BLue, Warm Gray.
Can I use the "Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2" palette in my own design?: Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.

Showa era

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Plate 241 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow, Isabella Color, Dark Medici Blue.

Showa era

Eosine Pink & Burnt Sienna +2

Plate 242 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eosine Pink, Burnt Sienna, Diamine Green, Black.

Showa era

Light Brown Drab & Vinaceous Tawny +2

Plate 244 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Vinaceous Tawny, Andover Green, Antwarp Blue.

Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

About this combination

Historical context

Taking Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2 off the screen

Color Bridge Guide — coated

Display Plus HL colorimeter kit

Gansai Tambi 36

Embed this palette

Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.

What 348 Palettes Reveal: A Data Analysis of Sanzo Wada's Dictionary

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Websites.

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

Celadon & Unbleached— 青磁と生成

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey— 刈安と利休鼠

Royal Purple & Silver— 紫と銀

Questions about Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Eosine Pink & Burnt Sienna +2

Light Brown Drab & Vinaceous Tawny +2

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