Thistle vs Oatmeal — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Thistlenearest vs Oatmealnearest

#CDC9E7 · #CED0B2

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 98/100 (complementary) · Distinguishable 45/100 (somewhat similar) · Match 30/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.

Readability0Fail

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fail1.0:1

Harmony98Complementary

Complementary

176° apart

Distinguishable45Somewhat similar

normal

tritanopia

ΔE 32 (13 under CVD)

Match30Different

ΔE 32 — different

How different are Thistle and Oatmeal?

Thistle and Oatmeal are very different (ΔE 32). They have near-opposite hues (176° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Thistle text on Oatmeal: 1.01:1 (Fail); Oatmeal text on Thistle: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #59556E clears it.

Common questions

Do Thistle and Oatmeal go well together?

Complementary — complementary — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 98/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Thistle readable as text on Oatmeal?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #59556E clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Thistle and Oatmeal?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 32 — very different.

Are Thistle and Oatmeal the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 32).

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