Nocturnal Rust Cascade
Nocturnal Rust Cascade: a dark neutral with an accent palette of #051921, #112C38, #2A434F, #43535B, #9C4738. Nocturnal, focused and cinematic; best contrast 2.88:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, gray, red, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.88:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Oxford by Night#051921
A very dark, neutral blue (Oxford by Night) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Elite Teal#112C38
A very dark, muted teal (Elite Teal) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Mysterious Waters#2A434F
A dark, muted teal (Mysterious Waters) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Trout#43535B
A dark, neutral gray (Trout) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Ketchup#9C4738
A medium, moderately saturated red (Ketchup) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.98:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.37:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly91% 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 | #051921 | 20% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #112C38 | 28% |
| ≈ Graphite | Accent | #2A434F | 37% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #43535B | 43% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #9C4738 | 50% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEDEA for text.
:root {
--color-background: #051921;
--color-surface: #43535b;
--color-primary: #112c38;
--color-accent: #2a434f;
--color-text: #feedea;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #051921;
--color-surface: #43535b;
--color-primary: #112c38;
--color-accent: #2a434f;
--color-ink: #feedea;
}
About this palette
Nocturnal Rust Cascade is palette number 2,795 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a neutral with an accent scheme, and it is anchored by Rust (#9C4738), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as nocturnal, focused and cinematic. Its colors run from Rust (#9C4738) at the light end to Navy (#051921) at the dark end, covering 20% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Navy #051921: suggested role background. It is a cyan color with 20% lightness and a chroma of 0.031.
2. ≈ Ink #112C38: suggested role primary. It is a cyan color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.04.
3. ≈ Graphite #2A434F: suggested role accent. It is a cyan color with 37% lightness and a chroma of 0.037.
4. ≈ Slate #43535B: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.024, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ Rust #9C4738: suggested role text. It is a red color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.117.
Harmony and structure
Four low-chroma colors form a calm foundation and one saturated color from the far side of the wheel acts as the accent.
In this palette the hues fall in the cyan and red families, spread across 198 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 cool: 1 of its 4 chromatic colors lean warm and 3 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.05 makes the saturation soft.
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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Navy (#051921) with Rust (#9C4738) at a contrast ratio of 2.88:1, 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 (#051921), so this page suggests #FEEDEA for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 15.85:1. 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: #051921 as the background, #43535B for cards and surfaces, #112C38 as the primary brand color, #2A434F as the accent, and #FEEDEA 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.
Spend the neutrals on backgrounds, text and surfaces, and save the accent for the one thing you want people to notice: a button, a link or a highlight.
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 Rust Cascade accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.88:1 (#051921 on #9C4738). 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 (#112C38) 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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic feel works well.