Nocturnal Sapphire Umbra
Nocturnal Sapphire Umbra: a dark split complementary palette of #230A00, #3B2000, #024C53, #265096, #8F523D. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.08:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on black, brown, teal, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.08:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Nether#230A00
A very dark, muted red (Nether) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Medium Roast#3B2000
A very dark, muted brown (Medium Roast) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Mallard#024C53
A dark, muted blue (Mallard) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Blue Chip#265096
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Blue Chip) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Coconut#8F523D
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Coconut) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.83:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.44:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly96% 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 | #230A00 | 18% |
| ≈ Espresso | Accent | #3B2000 | 27% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #024C53 | 38% |
| ≈ Sapphire | Primary | #265096 | 44% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #8F523D | 50% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEEE8 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #230a00;
--color-surface: #024c53;
--color-primary: #265096;
--color-accent: #3b2000;
--color-text: #feeee8;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #230a00;
--color-surface: #024c53;
--color-primary: #265096;
--color-accent: #3b2000;
--color-ink: #feeee8;
}
About this palette
Nocturnal Sapphire Umbra is palette number 21,083 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Sapphire (#265096), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Rust (#8F523D) at the light end to Ink (#230A00) at the dark end, covering 18% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #230A00: suggested role background. It is a orange color with 18% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
2. ≈ Espresso #3B2000: suggested role accent. It is a orange color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.061.
3. ≈ Charcoal #024C53: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 38% lightness and a chroma of 0.064.
4. ≈ Sapphire #265096: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.124.
5. ≈ Rust #8F523D: suggested role text. It is a red color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.088.
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 orange, cyan, blue and red families, spread across 220 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: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.077 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 (#230A00) with Rust (#8F523D) at a contrast ratio of 3.08:1, 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 (#230A00), so this page suggests #FEEEE8 for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 16.69:1. 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: #230A00 as the background, #024C53 for cards and surfaces, #265096 as the primary brand color, #3B2000 as the accent, and #FEEEE8 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 Nocturnal Sapphire Umbra accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.08:1 (#230A00 on #8F523D). 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?
Sapphire (#265096) 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.