Nocturnal Iris Quarry
Nocturnal Iris Quarry: a dark tetradic palette of #625EAC, #7E3643, #4B4007, #033532, #221122. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.17:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on purple, red, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.17:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Bellflower#625EAC
A medium, moderately saturated purple (Bellflower) that brings a creative, premium air. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Paprika#7E3643
A dark, moderately saturated red (Paprika) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Alligator Gladiator#4B4007
A dark, muted yellow (Alligator Gladiator) that brings attention without aggression. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Elite Teal#033532
A dark, muted teal (Elite Teal) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Shot in the Dark#221122
A very dark, muted pink (Shot in the Dark) that brings a warm, expressive tone. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.92:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.71:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly90% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Iris | Text | #625EAC | 52% |
| ≈ Wine | Primary | #7E3643 | 43% |
| ≈ Brown | Surface | #4B4007 | 37% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #033532 | 30% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #221122 | 21% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #F0F0FF for text.
:root {
--color-background: #221122;
--color-surface: #4b4007;
--color-primary: #7e3643;
--color-accent: #033532;
--color-text: #f0f0ff;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #221122;
--color-surface: #4b4007;
--color-primary: #7e3643;
--color-accent: #033532;
--color-ink: #f0f0ff;
}
About this palette
Nocturnal Iris Quarry is palette number 3,179 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Iris (#625EAC), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Iris (#625EAC) at the light end to Ink (#221122) at the dark end, covering 21% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Iris #625EAC: suggested role text. It is a violet color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.12.
2. ≈ Wine #7E3643: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.1.
3. ≈ Brown #4B4007: suggested role surface. It is a yellow color with 37% lightness and a chroma of 0.072.
4. ≈ Charcoal #033532: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 30% lightness and a chroma of 0.05.
5. ≈ Ink #221122: suggested role background. It is a magenta color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.041.
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 violet, rose, yellow, teal and magenta families, spread across 316 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 0.077 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 Iris (#625EAC) with Ink (#221122) at a contrast ratio of 3.17:1, 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 (#221122), so this page suggests #F0F0FF for text, a lightened Iris that reaches 15.89:1. 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: #221122 as the background, #4B4007 for cards and surfaces, #7E3643 as the primary brand color, #033532 as the accent, and #F0F0FF for text (a computed lighter shade of Iris, 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 Iris Quarry accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.17:1 (#625EAC on #221122). 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?
Wine (#7E3643) 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.