Showa era
Golden Yellow & Pale Raw Umber
Plate 26 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Golden Yellow, Pale Raw Umber.
#71502f
brown · 5 palettes
Pale Raw Umber
About Pale Raw Umber
Pale Raw Umber is a deep, muted brown tone. Its hex value is #71502f — that is
RGB 113, 80, 47, or HSL 30°, 41%, 31%.
It holds 7.3:1 contrast against white, so Pale Raw Umber works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 7.3:1; on black 2.9:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Pale Raw Umber appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Golden Yellow, Rainette Green and Sulphine Yellow.
Colours that go with Pale Raw Umber
From a standard colour wheel, Pale Raw Umber anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#71502f #2F5071
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#71502f #712F2F #71712F
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#71502f #2F7150 #502F71
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#71502f #2F7171 #2F2F71
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Pale Raw Umber
Pale Raw Umber is a deep, muted tone (HSL 30°, 41%, 31%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (7.3:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2F5071) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#712F2F and #71712F) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Pale Raw Umber off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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...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
See price on Amazon
Amazon Associates affiliate links — your price is unchanged and a small commission keeps the archive free. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Palettes with Pale Raw Umber
Pale Raw Umber appears in 5 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Pale Raw Umber
- What is the hex code for Pale Raw Umber?
- Pale Raw Umber is #71502f. It appears in 5 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Pale Raw Umber look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Pale Raw Umber (#71502f) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 7.26:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 2.89:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Pale Raw Umber come from?
- Pale Raw Umber is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued brown pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Pale Raw Umber in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#71502f) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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