Smoky Sapphire Daybreak
Smoky Sapphire Daybreak: a dark neutral with an accent palette of #161405, #29261A, #3E3A23, #545038, #3969A6. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.29:1.
A warm palette of 5 colors drawing on black, gray, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.29:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Soulless#161405
A very dark, neutral black (Soulless) that brings serious elegance. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Nero#29261A
A very dark, neutral gray (Nero) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Madras#3E3A23
A dark, muted brown (Madras) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Kelp#545038
A dark, muted gray (Kelp) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Muted Blue#3969A6
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Muted Blue) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.47:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.74:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly98% 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 | #161405 | 19% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #29261A | 27% |
| ≈ Graphite | Surface | #3E3A23 | 35% |
| ≈ Pine | Primary | #545038 | 43% |
| ≈ Sapphire | Text | #3969A6 | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #EAF3FF for text.
:root {
--color-background: #161405;
--color-surface: #3e3a23;
--color-primary: #545038;
--color-accent: #29261a;
--color-text: #eaf3ff;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #161405;
--color-surface: #3e3a23;
--color-primary: #545038;
--color-accent: #29261a;
--color-ink: #eaf3ff;
}
About this palette
Smoky Sapphire Daybreak is palette number 2,011 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a neutral with an accent scheme, and it is anchored by Sapphire (#3969A6), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Sapphire (#3969A6) at the light end to Ink (#161405) 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 #161405: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.028, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Charcoal #29261A: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.021, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Graphite #3E3A23: suggested role surface. It is a yellow color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.037.
4. ≈ Pine #545038: suggested role primary. It is a yellow color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.038.
5. ≈ Sapphire #3969A6: suggested role text. It is a blue color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.11.
Harmony and structure
Four low-chroma colors form a calm foundation and one saturated color from the far side of the wheel acts as the accent.
In this palette the hues fall in the yellow and blue families, spread across 156 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 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.047 makes the saturation soft.
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 (#161405) with Sapphire (#3969A6) at a contrast ratio of 3.29:1, 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 (#161405), so this page suggests #EAF3FF for text, a lightened Sapphire that reaches 16.51:1. 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: #161405 as the background, #3E3A23 for cards and surfaces, #545038 as the primary brand color, #29261A as the accent, and #EAF3FF for text (a computed lighter shade of Sapphire, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Spend the neutrals on backgrounds, text and surfaces, and save the accent for the one thing you want people to notice: a button, a link or a highlight.
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 Sapphire Daybreak accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.29:1 (#161405 on #3969A6). 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 (#545038) 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.