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Common Ground
Colour5/12

Chapter 5 of 12

Colour

Colours from the field and the kitchen

Our palette is earthy and calm: the deep green of a vegetable field, the warm red-brown of a clay pot, soft sage and the cream of unbleached paper. Used with lots of light space, it feels generous and honest, never loud.

The palette has three layers. Primary colours make us recognisable. Supporting colours add warmth and depth. Neutrals carry the text and the space.

Click any value to copy it. Use the HEX and RGB values for screens, CMYK for printing in full colour and Pantone for spot colour, merchandise and signage.

Primary

Primary colours

Forest is our hallmark. Clay is the accent: the one warm thing that draws the eye.

Forest
Logo, headlines, signage and large surfaces. Our most recognisable colour.
Clay
Accent: buttons, highlights, illustration. Max. 10% of a layout. Never for small text.

Supporting

Supporting colours

For backgrounds, illustration and the details: a soft Sage panel, a Cream card, a Clay Deep link.

Sage
Calm panels and illustration. Text on Sage in Ink or Forest.
Cream
Cards, labels and reversed type on Forest.
Clay Deep
Clay for text: links, labels and prices. 5.0:1 on Paper.
Stone
Secondary text, captions, thin lines.

Neutrals

Neutrals

Ink for text, Paper for space. Pure white is for screens and photography backgrounds only.

Ink
All body text. A green-black that's softer than pure black but still reads as black.
Paper
Default background on screen. In print: use uncoated natural paper instead of printing a tint.
White
Screens only: input fields, cards on Paper, product photography.

Proportions

Mostly light, a lot of green, a touch of clay

The balance matters as much as the colours themselves. Measured across a typical set of materials (a poster, a web page and a social post), the palette is used roughly like this.

  • Paper 38% · Backgrounds and space
  • Forest 25% · Logo, headlines, large brand surfaces
  • Cream 15% · Cards, labels, type on Forest
  • Sage 10% · Calm panels and illustration
  • Clay 7% · The one accent: button, price, date
  • Ink 5% · Body text

  • A guide, not a formula. A Forest poster can be 80% green, but the brand as a whole should feel like the bar above.

  • One accent per view. Use Clay for the single thing you want people to notice: the button, the price, the date.

  • Don't combine Clay and Sage in large, equal areas. They compete; let one of them lead.

  • No tints or gradients of brand colours. If you need a lighter green, use Sage.

Accessibility

Combinations that everyone can read

Our members include older people, people with low vision and people reading in a second language. Every text must meet WCAG 2.2 AA: a contrast of at least 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text (24 px, or 19 px bold).

Preview as
Aa
14.7:1
Ink on Paper

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AAA
Aa
8.9:1
Forest on Cream

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AAA
Aa
10.1:1
Ink on Sage

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AAA
Aa
6.4:1
Forest on Sage

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AA
Aa
5.0:1
Ink on Clay

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AA
Aa
5.0:1
Clay Deep on Paper

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AA
Aa
3.1:1
White on Clay

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

AA large text only
Aa
2.9:1
Clay on Paper

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Not for text
Aa
1.4:1
Sage on Paper

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Not for text

Contrast is calculated with the WCAG 2.2 formula. AA: at least 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text (24 px, or 19 px bold); AAA: 7:1.

Do
  • Set body text in Ink on Paper, Cream or Sage, or in Cream on Forest.
  • Use Ink for text on Clay buttons (5.0:1). White on Clay (3.1:1) is only allowed for large text of 24 px or more.
  • Use Clay Deep instead of Clay for links, prices and labels on light backgrounds.
Don't
  • Don't use Clay or Sage for text on light backgrounds. Clay on Paper is only 2.9:1 and fails.
  • Don't rely on colour alone to show meaning, e.g. a red price for 'sold out'. Always add a word or an icon.
  • Don't place text on Clay and Forest next to each other. They vibrate and are hard to read for people with colour blindness.

Production

Print, screen and paint

Printing on uncoated paper
Most of our print is on uncoated, recycled paper. Colours will look softer and darker than on screen. Ask the printer for the uncoated Pantone references (5535 U, 7590 U) and always request a proof for anything above 500 copies.
Charts and data
Use Forest for the main series, then Clay, Sage and Stone. Never use more than four colours in one chart. Label values directly instead of relying on a colour legend.
Signage and paint
For painted fascias and walls, the closest RAL matches are RAL 6009 (Forest) and RAL 8023 at 60% (Clay). Always check against a Pantone swatch in daylight before ordering.

Questions about this guide?

Contact Noor

Last updated 24 Sept 2026

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