Smalt
Smalt (#003399) is a dark, vivid blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 220° and a lightness of 37%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.
About this color
What Smalt looks like, feels like and where it works.
Description
Smalt (#003399) is a dark, vivid blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 220° and a lightness of 37%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.
Psychology
Blue is the most widely liked color and the default for trust. It lowers the sense of urgency, so it suits products that ask for confidence: money, health and software. As a dark shade, Smalt feels weighty and serious.
Meaning
Blue stands for calm, stability, loyalty and the sky and sea. It is also the color of sadness in English (feeling blue) and, in some cultures, of protection.
Why use this color
Smalt is a confident accent. It carries white text well, so it works as a button, header or badge background. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.
Applications
- Finance, banking and insurance
- Technology and software
- Healthcare and corporate identity
- Links and primary actions in interfaces
History
Egyptian blue, from about 2500 BC, is often called the first synthetic pigment. Ultramarine from lapis lazuli cost as much as gold; Prussian blue (about 1706) made deep blue affordable.
Accessibility
White text on Smalt has a contrast ratio of 10.86:1 (AAA); black text has 1.93:1 (fails). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning: pair it with text, an icon or a pattern.
Variations of Smalt
Tailwind-style scale
Color harmonies of Smalt
Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.
Color blindness simulator
These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.