Shadow Ink Estuary
Shadow Ink Estuary: a dark split complementary palette of #001B34, #012461, #5D362B, #574E18, #0E6C95. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 2.98:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.98:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Naval Night#001B34
A very dark, muted blue (Naval Night) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark Soul#012461
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Dark Soul) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Chocolate Truffle#5D362B
A dark, muted red (Chocolate Truffle) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Jungle King#574E18
A dark, muted yellow (Jungle King) that brings light and cheer. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Hydra#0E6C95
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Hydra) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.40:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.59:1Fair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Navy | Background | #001B34 | 22% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #012461 | 28% |
| ≈ Espresso | Surface | #5D362B | 38% |
| ≈ Brown | Accent | #574E18 | 42% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #0E6C95 | 50% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #E5F5FE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #001b34;
--color-surface: #5d362b;
--color-primary: #012461;
--color-accent: #574e18;
--color-text: #e5f5fe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #001b34;
--color-surface: #5d362b;
--color-primary: #012461;
--color-accent: #574e18;
--color-ink: #e5f5fe;
}
About this palette
Shadow Ink Estuary is palette number 2,603 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Ink (#012461), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Slate (#0E6C95) at the light end to Navy (#001B34) at the dark end, covering 22% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Navy #001B34: suggested role background. It is a blue color with 22% lightness and a chroma of 0.06.
2. ≈ Ink #012461: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.115.
3. ≈ Espresso #5D362B: suggested role surface. It is a red color with 38% lightness and a chroma of 0.059.
4. ≈ Brown #574E18: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 42% lightness and a chroma of 0.073.
5. ≈ Slate #0E6C95: suggested role text. It is a cyan color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.102.
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 blue, red, yellow and cyan families, spread across 224 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 3 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.082 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 Navy (#001B34) with Slate (#0E6C95) at a contrast ratio of 2.98:1, 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 (#001B34), so this page suggests #E5F5FE for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 15.60:1. 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: #001B34 as the background, #5D362B for cards and surfaces, #012461 as the primary brand color, #574E18 as the accent, and #E5F5FE for text (a computed lighter shade of Slate, 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 Shadow Ink Estuary accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.98:1 (#001B34 on #0E6C95). 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 (#012461) 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.