Inky Rust Lagoon
Inky Rust Lagoon: a dark tetradic palette of #2B0A18, #2F2201, #034338, #2F4F91, #9B4A27. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 2.93:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on red, brown, teal, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.93:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Black Cherry#2B0A18
A very dark, muted red (Black Cherry) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Close but No Cigar#2F2201
A very dark, muted brown (Close but No Cigar) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Botanical Night#034338
A dark, muted teal (Botanical Night) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Night Mode#2F4F91
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Night Mode) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Panela#9B4A27
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Panela) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.11:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.40:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly93% 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 | #2B0A18 | 21% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #2F2201 | 26% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #034338 | 34% |
| ≈ Sapphire | Primary | #2F4F91 | 44% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #9B4A27 | 51% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEEE8 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #2b0a18;
--color-surface: #034338;
--color-primary: #2f4f91;
--color-accent: #2f2201;
--color-text: #feeee8;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #2b0a18;
--color-surface: #034338;
--color-primary: #2f4f91;
--color-accent: #2f2201;
--color-ink: #feeee8;
}
About this palette
Inky Rust Lagoon is palette number 21,827 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Rust (#9B4A27), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Rust (#9B4A27) at the light end to Ink (#2B0A18) at the dark end, covering 21% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #2B0A18: suggested role background. It is a rose color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.057.
2. ≈ Charcoal #2F2201: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 26% lightness and a chroma of 0.052.
3. ≈ Charcoal #034338: suggested role surface. It is a teal color with 34% lightness and a chroma of 0.062.
4. ≈ Sapphire #2F4F91: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.115.
5. ≈ Rust #9B4A27: suggested role text. It is a red color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.119.
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 rose, yellow, teal, blue and red families, spread across 314 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 Ink (#2B0A18) with Rust (#9B4A27) at a contrast ratio of 2.93:1, which is below the WCAG AA minimum of 4.5:1. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 0 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#2B0A18), so this page suggests #FEEEE8 for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 16.05:1. 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: #2B0A18 as the background, #034338 for cards and surfaces, #2F4F91 as the primary brand color, #2F2201 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.
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 Rust Lagoon accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.93:1 (#2B0A18 on #9B4A27). 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 (#2F4F91) 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.