Brand gradient

Volkswagen gradient

The gradient Volkswagen's published colour tokens imply, derived by a pure function of the palette: primary → secondary in OKLab (OKLCH shorter hue when the hues are more than 140° apart; a tonal ramp when they are within ΔE 0.15), then a hero background with an ink that passes AA at the worst point along the line, a button surface with hover and active states, and the variant contact sheet. Same inputs, same gradients, forever — which is what makes them citable; the same values are served as --brand-gradient in the brand's brand.css.

#1b2236 #293043

Open in the maker Volkswagen colors →Full brand page →auto

Source: vw.com
Extracted: 2 September 2026
Version: 4

Volkswagen

white text · worst 7.93:1 · AA

white 7.93 AAblack 1.01 failsbanding high

Hero and button

Hero background

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Chroma ×0.35 so it can carry text; ink white (inkFor at the midpoint). Passes AA for that ink at the worst point (7.94:1) without adjusting L.

white 7.94 AAblack 1.01 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #4e5159 0%, #20232a 50%, #010204 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#4e5159] via-[#20232a] to-[#010204]

Button / CTA

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ΔL 0.08 top→bottom in the primary's hue (a lit surface, not a rainbow); hover L +0.03, active L −0.03. White ink passes AA on the surface and both states (worst 12.52:1).

white 13.89 AAblack 1.19 failsbanding high

Get started

hover

active

label ink passes AA on all three

css

linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #242c41 0%, #12182c 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-b/oklch from-[#242c41] to-[#12182c]

Variants

Tonal ramp

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white 7.93 AAblack 1.01 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #485167 0%, #1b2236 50%, #00010a 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#485167] via-[#1b2236] to-[#00010a]

Analogous

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Partner hue from the analogous rule at the source colour's lightness.

white 15.66 AAblack 1.32 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklab, #1b2236 0%, #1d2429 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklab from-[#1b2236] to-[#1d2429]

Complementary

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Partner hue from the complementary rule at the source colour's lightness. ΔH 175° > 140° — interpolating in oklch (shorter hue) keeps the midpoint saturated.

white 15.53 AAblack 1.33 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #1b2236 0%, #25231c 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#1b2236] to-[#25231c]

Triadic

Open in maker →

Partner hue from the triadic rule at the source colour's lightness.

white 15.71 AAblack 1.32 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklab, #1b2236 0%, #2e1f1c 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklab from-[#1b2236] to-[#2e1f1c]

Report — brand gradient

white ink: worst 7.93:1 at 0% (AA); black ink: worst 1.01:1 at 100% (fails AA) → use white text.
Black text disappears completely at 100% (1.00:1 crossing).
Banding high: ~16px bands at 1440px — add grain 34 (≈2% soft-light noise) or shorten the ramp.

Export

The custom properties below are byte-identical to the gradient block in brand.css; the DTCG token is what tokens.json carries.

css custom properties · brand.css

:root {
  /* Brand gradient (derived) */
  /* worst-case contrast: white 7.93:1 AA, black 1.01:1 */
  --brand-gradient: linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #485167 0%, #1b2236 50%, #00010a 100%);
  /* hero — worst-case contrast: white 7.94:1 AA, black 1.01:1; ink passes AA at the worst point */
  --brand-gradient-hero: linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #4e5159 0%, #20232a 50%, #010204 100%);
  --brand-gradient-hero-ink: #ffffff;
  /* button — worst-case contrast: white 13.89:1 AA, black 1.19:1 */
  --brand-gradient-button: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #242c41 0%, #12182c 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-hover: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #2c3349 0%, #192033 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-active: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #1d2439 0%, #0c1224 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-ink: #ffffff;
}

svg · brand gradient

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1440" height="600" viewBox="0 0 1440 600"><defs><linearGradient id="bs-gradient" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x1="210" y1="-210" x2="1230" y2="810"><stop offset="0%" stop-color="#485167"/><stop offset="3.57%" stop-color="#454d63"/><stop offset="7.14%" stop-color="#414a60"/><stop offset="10.71%" stop-color="#3e465c"/><stop offset="14.29%" stop-color="#3a4359"/><stop offset="17.86%" stop-color="#374055"/><stop offset="21.43%" stop-color="#343c51"/><stop offset="25%" stop-color="#31394e"/><stop offset="28.57%" stop-color="#2d354a"/><stop offset="32.14%" stop-color="#2a3247"/><stop offset="35.71%" stop-color="#272f44"/><stop offset="39.29%" stop-color="#242c40"/><stop offset="42.86%" stop-color="#21283d"/><stop offset="46.43%" stop-color="#1e2539"/><stop offset="50%" stop-color="#1b2236"/><stop offset="53.57%" stop-color="#181f33"/><stop offset="57.14%" stop-color="#151c2f"/><stop offset="60.71%" stop-color="#12192c"/><stop offset="64.29%" stop-color="#0f1629"/><stop offset="67.86%" stop-color="#0c1326"/><stop offset="71.43%" stop-color="#091122"/><stop offset="75%" stop-color="#070e1f"/><stop offset="78.57%" stop-color="#050b1c"/><stop offset="82.14%" stop-color="#030819"/><stop offset="85.71%" stop-color="#020616"/><stop offset="89.29%" stop-color="#010413"/><stop offset="92.86%" stop-color="#010310"/><stop offset="96.43%" stop-color="#00020d"/><stop offset="100%" stop-color="#00010a"/></linearGradient></defs><rect width="1440" height="600" fill="url(#bs-gradient)"/></svg>

dtcg · tokens.json

{
  "gradient": {
    "brand": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.282,
              0.318,
              0.404
            ],
            "hex": "#485167"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.106,
              0.133,
              0.212
            ],
            "hex": "#1b2236"
          },
          "position": 0.5
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0,
              0.004,
              0.039
            ],
            "hex": "#00010a"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #485167 0%, #1b2236 50%, #00010a 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 135,
          "name": "brand",
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 7.929,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.009,
              "at": 1,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "The canonical brand gradient (--brand-gradient)."
    },
    "hero": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.306,
              0.318,
              0.349
            ],
            "hex": "#4e5159"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.125,
              0.137,
              0.165
            ],
            "hex": "#20232a"
          },
          "position": 0.5
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.004,
              0.008,
              0.016
            ],
            "hex": "#010204"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #4e5159 0%, #20232a 50%, #010204 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 135,
          "name": "hero",
          "ink": "#ffffff",
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 7.939,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.012,
              "at": 1,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "Low-chroma hero background with a text-safe ink (--brand-gradient-hero)."
    },
    "button": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.141,
              0.173,
              0.255
            ],
            "hex": "#242c41"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.071,
              0.094,
              0.173
            ],
            "hex": "#12182c"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #242c41 0%, #12182c 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 180,
          "name": "button",
          "ink": "#ffffff",
          "states": {
            "hover": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #2c3349 0%, #192033 100%)",
            "active": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #1d2439 0%, #0c1224 100%)"
          },
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 13.892,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.193,
              "at": 0.9841,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "Button / CTA surface with hover and active states (--brand-gradient-button)."
    }
  }
}

Colours

#1b2236 #293043

mcpConnect your agent — Volkswagen's gradients on demand

live endpoint

Point any MCP client at the shared gradients endpoint and your agent gets the same engine as this page — make_gradient returns CSS with the interpolation space, Tailwind v4, SVG, a PNG URL, a DTCG token and the contrast report in one call; brand_gradients derives the whole contact sheet from a brand or a palette. Read-only, no key. Every gradient is a /gradients/new/… link: open it, refine, paste it back.

endpointhttps://mcp.brandsweets.com/gradients/mcp

claude mcp add --transport http brandsweets-gradients https://mcp.brandsweets.com/gradients/mcp

try this prompt

›brand_gradients for vw-com — give me the hero CSS and the ink that passes AA, then a version in oklch

Want the agent to remember your picks and write them into a living brand? Create a free BrandSweets workspace.

Volkswagen and its marks belong to their owner. This page uses the name nominatively to describe gradients derived from the brand's published colour values; it does not reproduce logos or other brand assets, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volkswagen. Owner of this brand? Request a correction or removal → Machine-readable: gradients.md