Smoky Plum Vista
Smoky Plum Vista: a dark tetradic palette of #16162B, #530B23, #494403, #2B5D5A, #864B89. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 2.85:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on purple, red, yellow, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.85:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Dark Knight#16162B
A very dark, muted blue (Dark Knight) that brings quiet confidence. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evil Empire#530B23
A dark, moderately saturated red (Evil Empire) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Alligator Gladiator#494403
A dark, muted yellow (Alligator Gladiator) that brings light and cheer. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Lacrosse#2B5D5A
A dark, muted teal (Lacrosse) that brings clean, modern calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Prunella#864B89
A medium, moderately saturated pink (Prunella) that brings gentle playfulness. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.74:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.38:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly89% 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 | #16162B | 21% |
| ≈ Espresso | Primary | #530B23 | 29% |
| ≈ Brown | Surface | #494403 | 38% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #2B5D5A | 44% |
| ≈ Plum | Text | #864B89 | 51% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEBFE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #16162b;
--color-surface: #494403;
--color-primary: #530b23;
--color-accent: #2b5d5a;
--color-text: #feebfe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #16162b;
--color-surface: #494403;
--color-primary: #530b23;
--color-accent: #2b5d5a;
--color-ink: #feebfe;
}
About this palette
Smoky Plum Vista is palette number 6,147 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Plum (#864B89), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Plum (#864B89) at the light end to Ink (#16162B) at the dark end, covering 21% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #16162B: suggested role background. It is a violet color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.041.
2. ≈ Espresso #530B23: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.104.
3. ≈ Brown #494403: suggested role surface. It is a yellow color with 38% lightness and a chroma of 0.079.
4. ≈ Pine #2B5D5A: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.054.
5. ≈ Plum #864B89: suggested role text. It is a magenta color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.117.
Harmony and structure
Four hues are spaced around the wheel in two complementary pairs. It is the richest scheme, and the hardest to balance.
In this palette the hues fall in the violet, rose, yellow, teal and magenta families, spread across 318 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 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.079 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 (#16162B) with Plum (#864B89) at a contrast ratio of 2.85:1, 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 (#16162B), so this page suggests #FEEBFE for text, a lightened Plum that reaches 15.65:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #16162B and #530B23 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #16162B as the background, #494403 for cards and surfaces, #530B23 as the primary brand color, #2B5D5A as the accent, and #FEEBFE for text (a computed lighter shade of Plum, 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 take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
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 Plum Vista accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.85:1 (#16162B on #864B89). 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 (#530B23) 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.