Deep Ink Estuary
Deep Ink Estuary: a dark neutral with an accent palette of #69647B, #4D4B5C, #403F4E, #242135, #1A1700. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.18:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on purple, gray, yellow, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.18:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Rum#69647B
A medium, muted gray (Rum) that brings neutral balance. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Magnet#4D4B5C
A dark, neutral gray (Magnet) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Call It a Night#403F4E
A dark, neutral purple (Call It a Night) that brings imagination and polish. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark#242135
A very dark, muted gray (Dark) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Soulless#1A1700
A very dark, muted black (Soulless) that brings depth and formality. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.00:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.70:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly98% 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 | #69647B | 52% |
| ≈ Plum | Surface | #4D4B5C | 42% |
| ≈ Graphite | Accent | #403F4E | 37% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #242135 | 26% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #1A1700 | 20% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #F2F0FE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #1a1700;
--color-surface: #4d4b5c;
--color-primary: #242135;
--color-accent: #403f4e;
--color-text: #f2f0fe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #1a1700;
--color-surface: #4d4b5c;
--color-primary: #242135;
--color-accent: #403f4e;
--color-ink: #f2f0fe;
}
About this palette
Deep Ink Estuary is palette number 3,691 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 Ink (#1A1700), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Slate (#69647B) at the light end to Ink (#1A1700) at the dark end, covering 20% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #69647B: suggested role text. It is a violet color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.036.
2. ≈ Plum #4D4B5C: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 42% lightness and a chroma of 0.028, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Graphite #403F4E: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 37% lightness and a chroma of 0.025, so it behaves like a neutral.
4. ≈ Ink #242135: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 26% lightness and a chroma of 0.037.
5. ≈ Ink #1A1700: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 20% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
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 violet and yellow families, spread across 192 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 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.034 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 deep, dramatic and immersive.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Slate (#69647B) with Ink (#1A1700) at a contrast ratio of 3.18:1, 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 (#1A1700), so this page suggests #F2F0FE for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 16.00:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #4D4B5C and #403F4E may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under deuteranopia (reduced green sensitivity), #4D4B5C and #403F4E may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning. Under tritanopia (reduced blue sensitivity), #4D4B5C and #403F4E may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #1A1700 as the background, #4D4B5C for cards and surfaces, #242135 as the primary brand color, #403F4E as the accent, and #F2F0FE 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 Deep Ink Estuary accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.18:1 (#69647B on #1A1700). 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 (#242135) 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.