Smoky Ink Wharf
Smoky Ink Wharf: a dark neutral with an accent palette of #5D6870, #425B69, #2B3D4A, #1B2B35, #300B00. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.13:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on gray, blue, brown, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.13:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Slate#5D6870
A medium, neutral gray (Slate) that brings a steady, composed backdrop. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Stargazer#425B69
A medium, muted blue (Stargazer) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Depths of the Nile#2B3D4A
A dark, neutral blue (Depths of the Nile) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Cinder#1B2B35
A very dark, neutral gray (Cinder) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Shadow Play#300B00
A very dark, muted brown (Shadow Play) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.89:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.67:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly99% 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 | #5D6870 | 51% |
| ≈ Slate | Primary | #425B69 | 46% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #2B3D4A | 35% |
| ≈ Ink | Surface | #1B2B35 | 28% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #300B00 | 21% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #E7F4FD for text.
:root {
--color-background: #300b00;
--color-surface: #1b2b35;
--color-primary: #425b69;
--color-accent: #2b3d4a;
--color-text: #e7f4fd;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #300b00;
--color-surface: #1b2b35;
--color-primary: #425b69;
--color-accent: #2b3d4a;
--color-ink: #e7f4fd;
}
About this palette
Smoky Ink Wharf is palette number 443 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 (#300B00), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Slate (#5D6870) at the light end to Ink (#300B00) at the dark end, covering 21% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #5D6870: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.019, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Slate #425B69: suggested role primary. It is a cyan color with 46% lightness and a chroma of 0.038.
3. ≈ Charcoal #2B3D4A: suggested role accent. It is a blue color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.032.
4. ≈ Ink #1B2B35: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.028, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ Ink #300B00: suggested role background. It is a red color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.065.
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 cyan, blue and red families, spread across 199 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: 1 of its 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.036 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 (#5D6870) with Ink (#300B00) at a contrast ratio of 3.13:1, 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 (#300B00), so this page suggests #E7F4FD for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 15.98:1. 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: #300B00 as the background, #1B2B35 for cards and surfaces, #425B69 as the primary brand color, #2B3D4A as the accent, and #E7F4FD 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 Smoky Ink Wharf accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.13:1 (#5D6870 on #300B00). 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?
Slate (#425B69) 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.