Nocturnal Espresso Dune
Nocturnal Espresso Dune: a dark neutral with an accent palette of #775E66, #5A4D50, #533941, #38232A, #001714. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.15:1.
A warm palette of 5 colors drawing on red, gray, black, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.15:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Royal Fig#775E66
A medium, neutral red (Royal Fig) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Magnet#5A4D50
A dark, neutral gray (Magnet) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Shadow Purple#533941
A dark, muted pink (Shadow Purple) that brings gentle playfulness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Castro#38232A
A dark, neutral red (Castro) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Sooty#001714
A very dark, neutral black (Sooty) that brings serious elegance. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.54:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.57:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly96% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Slate | Text | #775E66 | 51% |
| ≈ Slate | Accent | #5A4D50 | 43% |
| ≈ Espresso | Primary | #533941 | 38% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #38232A | 29% |
| ≈ Navy | Background | #001714 | 18% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEECF2 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #001714;
--color-surface: #38232a;
--color-primary: #533941;
--color-accent: #5a4d50;
--color-text: #feecf2;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #001714;
--color-surface: #38232a;
--color-primary: #533941;
--color-accent: #5a4d50;
--color-ink: #feecf2;
}
About this palette
Nocturnal Espresso Dune is palette number 3,523 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 Espresso (#533941), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Slate (#775E66) at the light end to Navy (#001714) at the dark end, covering 18% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #775E66: suggested role text. It is a rose color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.034.
2. ≈ Slate #5A4D50: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.018, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Espresso #533941: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 38% lightness and a chroma of 0.039.
4. ≈ Charcoal #38232A: suggested role surface. It is a rose color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.034.
5. ≈ Navy #001714: suggested role background. It is a teal color with 18% lightness and a chroma of 0.033.
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 rose and teal families, spread across 175 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 warm: 3 of its 4 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.032 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 moody, intimate and rich.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Slate (#775E66) with Navy (#001714) at a contrast ratio of 3.15:1, 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 (#001714), so this page suggests #FEECF2 for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 16.32:1. 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: #001714 as the background, #38232A for cards and surfaces, #533941 as the primary brand color, #5A4D50 as the accent, and #FEECF2 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.
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 Espresso Dune accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.15:1 (#775E66 on #001714). 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 (#533941) 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 moody, intimate and rich feel works well.