Inky Slate Estuary
Inky Slate Estuary: a dark tetradic palette of #0D182E, #3D242F, #503706, #0B5C4A, #765899. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.05:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, pink, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.05:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Dark Knight#0D182E
A very dark, muted blue (Dark Knight) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Castro#3D242F
A dark, muted red (Castro) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Moelleux au Chocolat#503706
A dark, muted brown (Moelleux au Chocolat) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evergreen#0B5C4A
A dark, muted teal (Evergreen) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Prophet Violet#765899
A medium, moderately saturated purple (Prophet Violet) that brings imagination and polish. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.68:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.62:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly91% 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 | #0D182E | 21% |
| ≈ Espresso | Accent | #3D242F | 30% |
| ≈ Brown | Surface | #503706 | 36% |
| ≈ Pine | Primary | #0B5C4A | 42% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #765899 | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #F5EFFE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #0d182e;
--color-surface: #503706;
--color-primary: #0b5c4a;
--color-accent: #3d242f;
--color-text: #f5effe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #0d182e;
--color-surface: #503706;
--color-primary: #0b5c4a;
--color-accent: #3d242f;
--color-ink: #f5effe;
}
About this palette
Inky Slate Estuary is palette number 17,683 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Slate (#765899), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Slate (#765899) at the light end to Navy (#0D182E) at the dark end, covering 21% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Navy #0D182E: suggested role background. It is a blue color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.047.
2. ≈ Espresso #3D242F: suggested role accent. It is a rose color with 30% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
3. ≈ Brown #503706: suggested role surface. It is a orange color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.07.
4. ≈ Pine #0B5C4A: suggested role primary. It is a teal color with 42% lightness and a chroma of 0.078.
5. ≈ Slate #765899: suggested role text. It is a violet color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.105.
Harmony and structure
Four hues are spaced around the wheel in two complementary pairs. It is the richest scheme, and the hardest to balance.
In this palette the hues fall in the blue, rose, orange, teal and violet families, spread across 274 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 0.068 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 Navy (#0D182E) with Slate (#765899) at a contrast ratio of 3.05:1, 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 (#0D182E), so this page suggests #F5EFFE for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 15.71:1. 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: #0D182E as the background, #503706 for cards and surfaces, #0B5C4A as the primary brand color, #3D242F as the accent, and #F5EFFE 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.
Let one hue take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
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 Slate Estuary accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.05:1 (#0D182E on #765899). 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?
Pine (#0B5C4A) 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.