What colors are in the "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" palette?

Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 contains 3 colors: Ivory Buff (#ebd3a2), Yellow Orange (#f99d1b), Salvia Blue (#97acc8). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" 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 "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" palette belong to?

Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes yellow tones. Plate 209 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Ivory Buff, Yellow Orange, Salvia Blue.

Can I use the "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" 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.

Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1

About this combination

Combination 209 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A 3-colour grouping of Ivory Buff, Yellow Orange, Salvia Blue, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 209 of Wada's 348 anchors Ivory Buff, Yellow Orange and Salvia Blue in the yellow family — a 3-colour grouping with a refined, cool 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 — Ivory Buff on Salvia Blue — reaches a contrast ratio of 1.59:1, below the WCAG text-contrast floor, so it reads best in decorative blocks rather than text pairings.

Studio

Taking Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 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.

Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

...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

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
See price on Amazon
...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

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
See price on Amazon
...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 24 — Art Nouveau

Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors II - Art Nouveau
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.

Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Export

One click — no signup, no watermark.

Palette Pro · coming soon Figma variables, Adobe swatches (.ase), Procreate swatches, saved boards →

Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: yellow
Moods: refined, cool
Colors: 3

Accessibility

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

Strongest pair: Ivory Buff on Salvia Blue — 1.59:1 (Fail)

Ivory Buff·Yellow Orange1.46:1Fail
Ivory Buff·Salvia Blue1.59:1Fail
Yellow Orange·Salvia Blue1.09:1Fail

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.

Embed this palette

Add this swatch strip to any blog post, Notion page, or website. It links back here automatically.

<iframe src="https://colorcombinations.org/embed/wada-209-ivory-buff-yellow-orange/" width="320" height="80" frameborder="0" style="border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden;" title="Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 color palette — colorcombinations.org"></iframe>

Preview

From the editorial · Long read

Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

What it actually means for color when a tradition values age over newness — the tea-room palette, three exemplars, and the anti-patterns to avoid.

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 Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1

What colors are in the "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" palette?: Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 contains 3 colors: Ivory Buff (#ebd3a2), Yellow Orange (#f99d1b), Salvia Blue (#97acc8). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).
When was the "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" 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 "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" palette belong to?: Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes yellow tones. Plate 209 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Ivory Buff, Yellow Orange, Salvia Blue.
Can I use the "Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1" 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

Yellow Orange & Dark Tyrian Blue

Plate 2 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Yellow Orange, Dark Tyrian Blue.

Showa era

Isabella Color & Green Blue

Plate 12 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Isabella Color, Green Blue.

Showa era

Yellow & Deep Lyons Blue

Plate 22 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Yellow, Deep Lyons Blue.

Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1

About this combination

Historical context

Taking Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1 off the screen

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau

Embed this palette

Take this palette into Figma, Adobe or Procreate

Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

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 Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1

Yellow Orange & Dark Tyrian Blue

Isabella Color & Green Blue

Yellow & Deep Lyons Blue

Looking for a combination we don’t have yet?