Inky Rust Journey
Inky Rust Journey: a dark split complementary palette of #A14B58, #883A2F, #164738, #022C38, #2C0010. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.28:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on red, teal, blue, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.28:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Hot#A14B58
A medium, moderately saturated red (Hot) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Fire#883A2F
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Fire) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Zucchini#164738
A dark, muted green (Zucchini) that brings balance and health. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Nordic Noir#022C38
A very dark, muted blue (Nordic Noir) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Belladonna#2C0010
A very dark, muted red (Belladonna) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.84:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.66:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly87% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Rust | Text | #A14B58 | 52% |
| ≈ Wine | Primary | #883A2F | 45% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #164738 | 36% |
| ≈ Ink | Accent | #022C38 | 27% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #2C0010 | 19% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEDEE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #2c0010;
--color-surface: #164738;
--color-primary: #883a2f;
--color-accent: #022c38;
--color-text: #feedee;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #2c0010;
--color-surface: #164738;
--color-primary: #883a2f;
--color-accent: #022c38;
--color-ink: #feedee;
}
About this palette
Inky Rust Journey is palette number 17,891 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Rust (#A14B58), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Rust (#A14B58) at the light end to Ink (#2C0010) at the dark end, covering 19% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Rust #A14B58: suggested role text. It is a rose color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.114.
2. ≈ Wine #883A2F: suggested role primary. It is a red color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.109.
3. ≈ Charcoal #164738: suggested role surface. It is a teal color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.059.
4. ≈ Ink #022C38: suggested role accent. It is a cyan color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
5. ≈ Ink #2C0010: suggested role background. It is a rose color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.076.
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, red, teal and cyan families, spread across 219 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 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.081 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 Rust (#A14B58) with Ink (#2C0010) at a contrast ratio of 3.28:1, 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 (#2C0010), so this page suggests #FEEDEE for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 16.65:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #883A2F and #164738 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #2C0010 as the background, #164738 for cards and surfaces, #883A2F as the primary brand color, #022C38 as the accent, and #FEEDEE 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 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 Rust Journey accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.28:1 (#A14B58 on #2C0010). 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?
Wine (#883A2F) 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.