The main difference between White and Ivory is brightness and saturation: both are off-white shades, but they share similar brightness and Ivory is more saturated. White (#FFFFFF) and Ivory (#FFFFF0) are similar colors often confused. They differ in brightness, saturation, and undertone, making each better suited for different design contexts.
Four real design scenarios, with the recommended pick based on hue, saturation, and WCAG contrast.
Ivory is more saturated (100% HSL vs 0%) so it reads as bolder and more memorable at logo scale, while White can feel washed out when printed small.
Ivory hits a 1.01:1 WCAG contrast against white — safer for text-heavy interfaces — where White only reaches 1.00:1 and risks failing AA at small body sizes.
White is a cool-leaning tone that flatters spring/summer collections and warmer skin undertones, while Ivory leans cooler and is better suited to autumn/winter layering.
White is the more muted of the two (0% saturation) and sits more calmly on large wall surfaces, while Ivory's higher chroma can overwhelm a room when used beyond accent pieces.
White (#FFFFFF) is a very light, near-neutral off-white with a neutral undertone — it feels pale, delicate, gentle and desaturated and restrained.
Ivory (#FFFFF0) is a very light, vivid off-white with a cool-leaning undertone — it feels pale, delicate, gentle and bright, energetic, eye-catching.
Text legibility depends on the contrast ratio between foreground and background. WCAG 2.1 AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Use these numbers to choose accessible combinations for your design.
Each color has a dedicated page with shades, tints, CSS name, pairings, and color psychology.