Smoky Rust Ripple
Smoky Rust Ripple: a dark monochromatic palette of #330700, #461200, #55352B, #7E3A05, #A04334. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 2.85:1.
A warm palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, orange, red, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.85:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Nether#330700
A very dark, muted red (Nether) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Old Study#461200
A very dark, moderately saturated brown (Old Study) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Espresso#55352B
A dark, muted red (Espresso) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Walnut#7E3A05
A dark, moderately saturated brown (Walnut) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Brick#A04334
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Brick) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.93:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.34:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly96% 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 | #330700 | 21% |
| ≈ Espresso | Surface | #461200 | 27% |
| ≈ Espresso | Accent | #55352B | 36% |
| ≈ Brown | Primary | #7E3A05 | 43% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #A04334 | 50% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEDEA for text.
:root {
--color-background: #330700;
--color-surface: #461200;
--color-primary: #7e3a05;
--color-accent: #55352b;
--color-text: #feedea;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #330700;
--color-surface: #461200;
--color-primary: #7e3a05;
--color-accent: #55352b;
--color-ink: #feedea;
}
About this palette
Smoky Rust Ripple is palette number 15,739 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a monochromatic scheme, and it is anchored by Rust (#A04334), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Rust (#A04334) at the light end to Ink (#330700) at the dark end, covering 21% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #330700: suggested role background. It is a red color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.073.
2. ≈ Espresso #461200: suggested role surface. It is a red color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.085.
3. ≈ Espresso #55352B: suggested role accent. It is a red color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.05.
4. ≈ Brown #7E3A05: suggested role primary. It is a orange color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.11.
5. ≈ Rust #A04334: suggested role text. It is a red color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.127.
Harmony and structure
All five colors share almost the same hue and differ mainly in lightness and saturation. Monochromatic palettes are the easiest to keep harmonious, because nothing competes for attention.
In this palette the hues fall in the red and orange families, spread across 19 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: 5 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.089 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 (#330700) with Rust (#A04334) at a contrast ratio of 2.85:1, 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 (#330700), so this page suggests #FEEDEA for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 15.81:1. 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: #330700 as the background, #461200 for cards and surfaces, #7E3A05 as the primary brand color, #55352B as the accent, and #FEEDEA for text (a computed lighter shade of Rust, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Use the lightest color for large areas, the mid tones for structure, and the darkest for text. Add contrast through lightness, since hue will not do it for you.
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 Smoky Rust Ripple accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.85:1 (#330700 on #A04334). 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 (#7E3A05) 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.