Nocturnal Iris Cove
Nocturnal Iris Cove: a dark complementary palette of #426BB8, #3D4B7B, #51390F, #382900, #09112B. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.57:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, purple, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.57:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Matt Blue#426BB8
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Matt Blue) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dragonfly#3D4B7B
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Dragonfly) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Pineapple#51390F
A dark, muted brown (Pineapple) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Secret Passage#382900
A dark, muted brown (Secret Passage) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Void#09112B
A very dark, muted blue (Void) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.63:1Excellent 5/5
- On black4.02:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly97% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Iris | Text | #426BB8 | 54% |
| ≈ Plum | Primary | #3D4B7B | 42% |
| ≈ Brown | Surface | #51390F | 36% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #382900 | 29% |
| ≈ Navy | Background | #09112B | 19% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #ECF2FE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #09112b;
--color-surface: #51390f;
--color-primary: #3d4b7b;
--color-accent: #382900;
--color-text: #ecf2fe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #09112b;
--color-surface: #51390f;
--color-primary: #3d4b7b;
--color-accent: #382900;
--color-ink: #ecf2fe;
}
About this palette
Nocturnal Iris Cove is palette number 13,179 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Iris (#426BB8), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Iris (#426BB8) at the light end to Navy (#09112B) at the dark end, covering 19% to 54% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Iris #426BB8: suggested role text. It is a blue color with 54% lightness and a chroma of 0.13.
2. ≈ Plum #3D4B7B: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 42% lightness and a chroma of 0.082.
3. ≈ Brown #51390F: suggested role surface. It is a orange color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.066.
4. ≈ Charcoal #382900: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.059.
5. ≈ Navy #09112B: suggested role background. It is a blue color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.054.
Harmony and structure
Two hues sit opposite each other on the wheel, each with a close companion. Complementary palettes have built-in tension: the opposite hues make each other look more vivid.
In this palette the hues fall in the blue, orange and yellow families, spread across 193 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 3 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.078 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 Iris (#426BB8) with Navy (#09112B) at a contrast ratio of 3.57:1, which is WCAG AA large. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 1 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#09112B), so this page suggests #ECF2FE for text, a lightened Iris that reaches 16.59:1. 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: #09112B as the background, #51390F for cards and surfaces, #3D4B7B as the primary brand color, #382900 as the accent, and #ECF2FE for text (a computed lighter shade of Iris, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Give one side of the wheel to the background and structure and the other to calls to action. A small amount of the opposing hue goes a long way.
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 Nocturnal Iris Cove accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.57:1 (#426BB8 on #09112B). 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?
Plum (#3D4B7B) 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.