Inky Espresso Wharf
Inky Espresso Wharf: a dark complementary palette of #280B1E, #4D1033, #054A35, #115D48, #895974. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.23:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on pink, teal, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.23:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Shot in the Dark#280B1E
A very dark, muted pink (Shot in the Dark) that brings softness and care. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evil Empire#4D1033
A dark, moderately saturated red (Evil Empire) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Zucchini#054A35
A dark, muted green (Zucchini) that brings balance and health. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evergreen#115D48
A dark, muted teal (Evergreen) that brings clean, modern calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Indian Silk#895974
A medium, muted red (Indian Silk) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.15:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.74:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly88% 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 | #280B1E | 21% |
| ≈ Espresso | Primary | #4D1033 | 29% |
| ≈ Forest | Surface | #054A35 | 36% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #115D48 | 43% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #895974 | 53% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEECF5 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #280b1e;
--color-surface: #054a35;
--color-primary: #4d1033;
--color-accent: #115d48;
--color-text: #feecf5;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #280b1e;
--color-surface: #054a35;
--color-primary: #4d1033;
--color-accent: #115d48;
--color-ink: #feecf5;
}
About this palette
Inky Espresso Wharf is palette number 14,989,539 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Espresso (#4D1033), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Slate (#895974) at the light end to Ink (#280B1E) at the dark end, covering 21% to 53% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #280B1E: suggested role background. It is a magenta color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.056.
2. ≈ Espresso #4D1033: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.099.
3. ≈ Forest #054A35: suggested role surface. It is a teal color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.073.
4. ≈ Pine #115D48: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.079.
5. ≈ Slate #895974: suggested role text. It is a rose color with 53% lightness and a chroma of 0.073.
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 magenta, rose and teal families, spread across 184 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 warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.076 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 moody, intimate and rich.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ink (#280B1E) with Slate (#895974) at a contrast ratio of 3.23:1, 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 (#280B1E), so this page suggests #FEECF5 for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 16.01:1. 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: #280B1E as the background, #054A35 for cards and surfaces, #4D1033 as the primary brand color, #115D48 as the accent, and #FEECF5 for text (a computed lighter shade of Slate, 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 Inky Espresso Wharf accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.23:1 (#280B1E on #895974). 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?
Espresso (#4D1033) 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 moody, intimate and rich feel works well.