Inky Charcoal Zenith
Inky Charcoal Zenith: a dark monochromatic palette of #001327, #032741, #014269, #325178, #336F8F. Nocturnal, focused and cinematic; best contrast 3.39:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on black, blue, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.39:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Void#001327
A very dark, muted blue (Void) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark Eclipse#032741
A very dark, muted blue (Dark Eclipse) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Aegean Blue#014269
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Aegean Blue) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Slumber#325178
A dark, muted blue (Slumber) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Astral#336F8F
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Astral) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.70:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.81:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly99% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Navy | Background | #001327 | 18% |
| ≈ Ink | Surface | #032741 | 26% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Primary | #014269 | 36% |
| ≈ Slate | Accent | #325178 | 43% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #336F8F | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #E5F5FE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #001327;
--color-surface: #032741;
--color-primary: #014269;
--color-accent: #325178;
--color-text: #e5f5fe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #001327;
--color-surface: #032741;
--color-primary: #014269;
--color-accent: #325178;
--color-ink: #e5f5fe;
}
About this palette
Inky Charcoal Zenith is palette number 16,187 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a monochromatic scheme, and it is anchored by Charcoal (#014269), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as nocturnal, focused and cinematic. Its colors run from Slate (#336F8F) at the light end to Navy (#001327) at the dark end, covering 18% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Navy #001327: suggested role background. It is a blue color with 18% lightness and a chroma of 0.05.
2. ≈ Ink #032741: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 26% lightness and a chroma of 0.063.
3. ≈ Charcoal #014269: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.089.
4. ≈ Slate #325178: suggested role accent. It is a blue color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.075.
5. ≈ Slate #336F8F: suggested role text. It is a cyan color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.08.
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 blue and cyan families, spread across 20 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 cool: 0 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 5 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.071 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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Navy (#001327) with Slate (#336F8F) at a contrast ratio of 3.39:1, 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 (#001327), so this page suggests #E5F5FE for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 16.77:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under tritanopia (reduced blue sensitivity), #014269 and #325178 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #001327 as the background, #032741 for cards and surfaces, #014269 as the primary brand color, #325178 as the accent, and #E5F5FE 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.
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 Inky Charcoal Zenith accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.39:1 (#001327 on #336F8F). 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?
Charcoal (#014269) 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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic feel works well.