Inky Espresso Daybreak
Inky Espresso Daybreak: a dark split complementary palette of #240A18, #540231, #274105, #2B5D5B, #87557C. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.19:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on black, pink, green, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.19:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Shot in the Dark#240A18
A very dark, muted pink (Shot in the Dark) that brings softness and care. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evil Empire#540231
A dark, moderately saturated red (Evil Empire) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Forest Green#274105
A dark, moderately saturated green (Forest Green) that brings balance and health. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Lacrosse#2B5D5B
A dark, muted teal (Lacrosse) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Indian Silk#87557C
A medium, moderately saturated red (Indian Silk) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.55:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.62:1Fair 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 | #240A18 | 19% |
| ≈ Espresso | Primary | #540231 | 29% |
| ≈ Forest | Surface | #274105 | 34% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #2B5D5B | 44% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #87557C | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEECF9 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #240a18;
--color-surface: #274105;
--color-primary: #540231;
--color-accent: #2b5d5b;
--color-text: #feecf9;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #240a18;
--color-surface: #274105;
--color-primary: #540231;
--color-accent: #2b5d5b;
--color-ink: #feecf9;
}
About this palette
Inky Espresso Daybreak is palette number 1,707 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Espresso (#540231), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Slate (#87557C) at the light end to Ink (#240A18) at the dark end, covering 19% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #240A18: suggested role background. It is a rose color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
2. ≈ Espresso #540231: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.119.
3. ≈ Forest #274105: suggested role surface. It is a green color with 34% lightness and a chroma of 0.089.
4. ≈ Pine #2B5D5B: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.054.
5. ≈ Slate #87557C: suggested role text. It is a magenta color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.086.
Harmony and structure
One hue is paired with the two hues flanking its opposite. You keep most of the energy of a complementary scheme with less tension and more variety.
In this palette the hues fall in the rose, green, teal and magenta families, spread across 222 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 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.079 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 (#240A18) with Slate (#87557C) at a contrast ratio of 3.19:1, 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 (#240A18), so this page suggests #FEECF9 for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 16.41:1. 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: #240A18 as the background, #274105 for cards and surfaces, #540231 as the primary brand color, #2B5D5B as the accent, and #FEECF9 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 lone hue as the dominant brand color and the two flanking hues as secondary and accent colors.
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 Daybreak accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.19:1 (#240A18 on #87557C). 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 (#540231) 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.