Shadow Plum Cascade
Shadow Plum Cascade: a dark complementary palette of #30012F, #48103B, #0C4C21, #0F643D, #934E85. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.13:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on pink, green, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.13:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Vienna Roast#30012F
A very dark, moderately saturated red (Vienna Roast) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Velvet Cosmos#48103B
A dark, moderately saturated pink (Velvet Cosmos) that brings gentle playfulness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ British Racing Green#0C4C21
A dark, moderately saturated green (British Racing Green) that brings growth and calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Jewel#0F643D
A dark, moderately saturated green (Jewel) that brings a fresh, natural feel. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Grape Candy#934E85
A medium, moderately saturated pink (Grape Candy) that brings a warm, expressive tone. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.93:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.66:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly85% 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 | #30012F | 22% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #48103B | 29% |
| ≈ Forest | Surface | #0C4C21 | 37% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #0F643D | 45% |
| ≈ Plum | Text | #934E85 | 53% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEECF9 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #30012f;
--color-surface: #0c4c21;
--color-primary: #48103b;
--color-accent: #0f643d;
--color-text: #feecf9;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #30012f;
--color-surface: #0c4c21;
--color-primary: #48103b;
--color-accent: #0f643d;
--color-ink: #feecf9;
}
About this palette
Shadow Plum Cascade is palette number 23,259 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Plum (#934E85), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Plum (#934E85) at the light end to Ink (#30012F) at the dark end, covering 22% to 53% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #30012F: suggested role background. It is a magenta color with 22% lightness and a chroma of 0.097.
2. ≈ Ink #48103B: suggested role primary. It is a magenta color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.1.
3. ≈ Forest #0C4C21: suggested role surface. It is a green color with 37% lightness and a chroma of 0.095.
4. ≈ Pine #0F643D: suggested role accent. It is a green color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.1.
5. ≈ Plum #934E85: suggested role text. It is a magenta color with 53% lightness and a chroma of 0.117.
Harmony and structure
Two hues sit opposite each other on the wheel, each with a close companion. Complementary palettes have built-in tension: the opposite hues make each other look more vivid.
In this palette the hues fall in the magenta and green families, spread across 189 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: 0 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.102 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 (#30012F) with Plum (#934E85) at a contrast ratio of 3.13:1, 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 (#30012F), so this page suggests #FEECF9 for text, a lightened Plum that reaches 15.86:1. 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: #30012F as the background, #0C4C21 for cards and surfaces, #48103B as the primary brand color, #0F643D as the accent, and #FEECF9 for text (a computed lighter shade of Plum, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Give one side of the wheel to the background and structure and the other to calls to action. A small amount of the opposing hue goes a long way.
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 Shadow Plum Cascade accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.13:1 (#30012F on #934E85). 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?
Ink (#48103B) 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.