RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western contexts, Artichoke often symbolizes balance and stability, reflecting its natural origins. Conversely, in some Eastern cultures, the color may evoke feelings of restraint and contemplation, contrasting with its more vibrant green counterparts.
The term 'artichoke' comes from the Italian 'carciofo', which traces back to the Arabic 'al-ḥaršaf', referring to the thistle plant. This color gained popularity in design during the mid-20th century, particularly in the 1960s, as part of the trend towards muted, natural tones.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Artichoke. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 40 Greens →Nine steps of Artichoke by lightness — from #4A4F3F (darkest) to #C5C9B9 (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Artichoke at 256° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Artichoke.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Artichoke anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on dark backgrounds; fails on light.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: #8F9779; color-mix(in srgb, #8F9779 70%, white) 76°, 20%, 59% 5, 0, 20, 41 9410425 #999966 How Artichoke appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.