Nocturnal Espresso Quartz
Nocturnal Espresso Quartz: a dark tetradic palette of #826805, #136053, #303C5A, #4D0125, #0A1700. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.46:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on yellow, teal, purple, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.46:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Muddy Brown#826805
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Muddy Brown) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Philodendron#136053
A dark, muted teal (Philodendron) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Nautilus#303C5A
A dark, muted blue (Nautilus) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evil Empire#4D0125
A very dark, moderately saturated red (Evil Empire) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Memorial Black#0A1700
A very dark, muted green (Memorial Black) that brings growth and calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.49:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.93:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly92% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Olive | Text | #826805 | 53% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #136053 | 44% |
| ≈ Graphite | Surface | #303C5A | 36% |
| ≈ Espresso | Primary | #4D0125 | 27% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #0A1700 | 19% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FCF1D4 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #0a1700;
--color-surface: #303c5a;
--color-primary: #4d0125;
--color-accent: #136053;
--color-text: #fcf1d4;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #0a1700;
--color-surface: #303c5a;
--color-primary: #4d0125;
--color-accent: #136053;
--color-ink: #fcf1d4;
}
About this palette
Nocturnal Espresso Quartz is palette number 22,891 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Espresso (#4D0125), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Olive (#826805) at the light end to Ink (#0A1700) at the dark end, covering 19% to 53% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Olive #826805: suggested role text. It is a yellow color with 53% lightness and a chroma of 0.106.
2. ≈ Pine #136053: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.074.
3. ≈ Graphite #303C5A: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.055.
4. ≈ Espresso #4D0125: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.109.
5. ≈ Ink #0A1700: suggested role background. It is a green color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.051.
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 yellow, teal, blue, rose and green families, spread across 269 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 0.079 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 Olive (#826805) with Ink (#0A1700) at a contrast ratio of 3.46:1, 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 (#0A1700), so this page suggests #FCF1D4 for text, a lightened Olive that reaches 16.44:1. 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: #0A1700 as the background, #303C5A for cards and surfaces, #4D0125 as the primary brand color, #136053 as the accent, and #FCF1D4 for text (a computed lighter shade of Olive, 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 Nocturnal Espresso Quartz accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.46:1 (#826805 on #0A1700). 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?
Espresso (#4D0125) 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.