Deep Charcoal Willow
Deep Charcoal Willow: a dark complementary palette of #271601, #322302, #08386C, #395381, #865D1A. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 2.99:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, blue, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.99:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Shadow Play#271601
A very dark, muted brown (Shadow Play) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Medium Roast#322302
A very dark, muted brown (Medium Roast) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Lost in Space#08386C
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Lost in Space) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Slumber#395381
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Slumber) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Grizzly#865D1A
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Grizzly) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.47:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.59:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly97% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ink | Background | #271601 | 22% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #322302 | 27% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Primary | #08386C | 34% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #395381 | 44% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #865D1A | 51% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEF0DD for text.
:root {
--color-background: #271601;
--color-surface: #395381;
--color-primary: #08386c;
--color-accent: #322302;
--color-text: #fef0dd;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #271601;
--color-surface: #395381;
--color-primary: #08386c;
--color-accent: #322302;
--color-ink: #fef0dd;
}
About this palette
Deep Charcoal Willow is palette number 3,771 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Charcoal (#08386C), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Rust (#865D1A) at the light end to Ink (#271601) at the dark end, covering 22% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #271601: suggested role background. It is a orange color with 22% lightness and a chroma of 0.045.
2. ≈ Charcoal #322302: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.052.
3. ≈ Charcoal #08386C: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 34% lightness and a chroma of 0.103.
4. ≈ Slate #395381: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.083.
5. ≈ Rust #865D1A: suggested role text. It is a orange color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.096.
Harmony and structure
Two hues sit opposite each other on the wheel, each with a close companion. Complementary palettes have built-in tension: the opposite hues make each other look more vivid.
In this palette the hues fall in the orange, yellow and blue families, spread across 190 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: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.076 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 Ink (#271601) with Rust (#865D1A) at a contrast ratio of 2.99:1, 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 (#271601), so this page suggests #FEF0DD for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 15.58:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under tritanopia (reduced blue sensitivity), #271601 and #322302 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #271601 as the background, #395381 for cards and surfaces, #08386C as the primary brand color, #322302 as the accent, and #FEF0DD 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.
Give one side of the wheel to the background and structure and the other to calls to action. A small amount of the opposing hue goes a long way.
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 Charcoal Willow accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.99:1 (#271601 on #865D1A). 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?
Charcoal (#08386C) 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.