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). Wada documented historical Japanese color combinations from the showa era and earlier periods. 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 the Showa-era volumes of Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, where these shikisai names have sat in the public domain for generations. 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.

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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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Related combinations

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Showa era

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Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

About this combination

Historical context

Embed this palette

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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

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Eosine Pink & Burnt Sienna +2

Light Brown Drab & Vinaceous Tawny +2