Deep Plum Willow
Deep Plum Willow: a dark tetradic palette of #18162D, #3C1D22, #443B04, #155E5D, #7F5483. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 2.93:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on purple, red, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.93:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Dark Knight#18162D
A very dark, muted blue (Dark Knight) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Bruised Plum#3C1D22
A very dark, muted red (Bruised Plum) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark Olive#443B04
A dark, muted green (Dark Olive) that brings a fresh, natural feel. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Mosque#155E5D
A dark, muted teal (Mosque) that brings clean, modern calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Muted Purple#7F5483
A medium, moderately saturated purple (Muted Purple) that brings quiet luxury. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.62:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.49:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly92% similarExcellent 5/5
Contrast is the best any color in the palette reaches on a plain white or black background. Color blind friendly shows how much of the difference between the colors is kept under the common kinds of color blindness.
| Color | Role | HEX | Lightness |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ink | Background | #18162D | 22% |
| ≈ Espresso | Surface | #3C1D22 | 28% |
| ≈ Brown | Primary | #443B04 | 35% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #155E5D | 44% |
| ≈ Plum | Text | #7F5483 | 51% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FDEBFF for text.
:root {
--color-background: #18162d;
--color-surface: #3c1d22;
--color-primary: #443b04;
--color-accent: #155e5d;
--color-text: #fdebff;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #18162d;
--color-surface: #3c1d22;
--color-primary: #443b04;
--color-accent: #155e5d;
--color-ink: #fdebff;
}
About this palette
Deep Plum Willow is palette number 12,867 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Plum (#7F5483), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Plum (#7F5483) at the light end to Ink (#18162D) at the dark end, covering 22% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #18162D: suggested role background. It is a violet color with 22% lightness and a chroma of 0.044.
2. ≈ Espresso #3C1D22: suggested role surface. It is a rose color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
3. ≈ Brown #443B04: suggested role primary. It is a yellow color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.07.
4. ≈ Pine #155E5D: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.068.
5. ≈ Plum #7F5483: suggested role text. It is a magenta color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.089.
Harmony and structure
Four hues are spaced around the wheel in two complementary pairs. It is the richest scheme, and the hardest to balance.
In this palette the hues fall in the violet, rose, yellow, teal and magenta families, spread across 313 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Dark palettes keep chroma between 0.04 and 0.14, and lightness between 20% and 52%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is temperature-balanced: 2 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.064 makes the saturation balanced.
That combination suits dark-mode interfaces, gaming and music apps and luxury packaging, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel deep, dramatic and immersive.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ink (#18162D) with Plum (#7F5483) at a contrast ratio of 2.93:1, which is below the WCAG AA minimum of 4.5:1. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 0 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#18162D), so this page suggests #FDEBFF for text, a lightened Plum that reaches 15.52:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
All five colors stay distinguishable under protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia simulations, which is a good sign, although it is no substitute for testing with real users.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #18162D as the background, #3C1D22 for cards and surfaces, #443B04 as the primary brand color, #155E5D as the accent, and #FDEBFF for text (a computed lighter shade of Plum, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Let one hue take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
Typical uses for a dark palette include dark-mode interfaces, gaming and music apps, luxury packaging and cinematic presentations. Open it in the generator to lock the colors you love and reroll the rest, or in the visualizer to see it on real layouts.
More palettes like this
Frequently asked questions
Is Deep Plum Willow accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.93:1 (#18162D on #7F5483). 0 of 10 pairs reach WCAG AA for normal text. Always check the exact text and background you use.
Which color should be the main brand color?
Brown (#443B04) is the most saturated color that is neither the lightest nor the darkest, which makes it the natural primary.
What is this palette good for?
It suits dark-mode interfaces, gaming and music apps, luxury packaging and cinematic presentations, where a deep, dramatic and immersive feel works well.