Inky Sapphire Estuary
Inky Sapphire Estuary: a dark analogous palette of #001B26, #022B43, #023C71, #365097, #61639B. Nocturnal, focused and cinematic; best contrast 3.17:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, purple, 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
- ≈ Oxford by Night#001B26
A very dark, muted blue (Oxford by Night) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Midnight Ocean#022B43
A very dark, muted blue (Midnight Ocean) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Tardis Blue#023C71
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Tardis Blue) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Blue Chip#365097
A dark, moderately saturated blue (Blue Chip) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Scampi#61639B
A medium, moderately saturated purple (Scampi) that brings quiet luxury. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.72:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.76:1Fair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Navy | Background | #001B26 | 21% |
| ≈ Ink | Accent | #022B43 | 28% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #023C71 | 36% |
| ≈ Sapphire | Primary | #365097 | 45% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #61639B | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #EFF1FF for text.
:root {
--color-background: #001b26;
--color-surface: #023c71;
--color-primary: #365097;
--color-accent: #022b43;
--color-text: #eff1ff;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #001b26;
--color-surface: #023c71;
--color-primary: #365097;
--color-accent: #022b43;
--color-ink: #eff1ff;
}
About this palette
Inky Sapphire Estuary is palette number 4,323 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a analogous scheme, and it is anchored by Sapphire (#365097), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as nocturnal, focused and cinematic. Its colors run from Slate (#61639B) at the light end to Navy (#001B26) at the dark end, covering 21% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Navy #001B26: suggested role background. It is a cyan color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.04.
2. ≈ Ink #022B43: suggested role accent. It is a blue color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.062.
3. ≈ Charcoal #023C71: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.106.
4. ≈ Sapphire #365097: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.12.
5. ≈ Slate #61639B: suggested role text. It is a violet color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.088.
Harmony and structure
The hues sit side by side on the color wheel, spanning roughly 60 degrees. Analogous palettes feel natural and flowing, like a sunset or a stretch of coastline.
In this palette the hues fall in the cyan, blue and violet families, spread across 54 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: 0 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 5 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.083 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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Navy (#001B26) with Slate (#61639B) 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 (#001B26), so this page suggests #EFF1FF for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 15.78:1. 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: #001B26 as the background, #023C71 for cards and surfaces, #365097 as the primary brand color, #022B43 as the accent, and #EFF1FF 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.
Let one hue lead and let the others support it. Keep one color noticeably lighter or darker than the rest so the layout has a clear focal point.
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 Inky Sapphire Estuary accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.17:1 (#001B26 on #61639B). 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?
Sapphire (#365097) 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.