Inky Espresso Ember
Inky Espresso Ember: a dark monochromatic palette of #28001C, #4F0033, #582C4D, #7C3159, #825A79. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.33:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on pink, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.33:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Black Sabbath#28001C
A very dark, muted pink (Black Sabbath) that brings a warm, expressive tone. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Evil Empire#4F0033
A dark, moderately saturated red (Evil Empire) that brings warmth and energy. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Purple Prose#582C4D
A dark, muted pink (Purple Prose) that brings gentle playfulness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Pleasure#7C3159
A dark, moderately saturated red (Pleasure) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Indian Silk#825A79
A medium, muted red (Indian Silk) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.97:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.68:1Fair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ink | Background | #28001C | 19% |
| ≈ Espresso | Primary | #4F0033 | 28% |
| ≈ Plum | Accent | #582C4D | 36% |
| ≈ Plum | Surface | #7C3159 | 43% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #825A79 | 52% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FFEBFA for text.
:root {
--color-background: #28001c;
--color-surface: #7c3159;
--color-primary: #4f0033;
--color-accent: #582c4d;
--color-text: #ffebfa;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #28001c;
--color-surface: #7c3159;
--color-primary: #4f0033;
--color-accent: #582c4d;
--color-ink: #ffebfa;
}
About this palette
Inky Espresso Ember is palette number 619 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a monochromatic scheme, and it is anchored by Espresso (#4F0033), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Slate (#825A79) at the light end to Ink (#28001C) at the dark end, covering 19% to 52% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #28001C: suggested role background. It is a magenta color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.08.
2. ≈ Espresso #4F0033: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.119.
3. ≈ Plum #582C4D: suggested role accent. It is a magenta color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.08.
4. ≈ Plum #7C3159: suggested role surface. It is a rose color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.114.
5. ≈ Slate #825A79: suggested role text. It is a magenta color with 52% lightness and a chroma of 0.069.
Harmony and structure
All five colors share almost the same hue and differ mainly in lightness and saturation. Monochromatic palettes are the easiest to keep harmonious, because nothing competes for attention.
In this palette the hues fall in the magenta and rose families, spread across 15 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 warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.092 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 moody, intimate and rich.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ink (#28001C) with Slate (#825A79) at a contrast ratio of 3.33:1, 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 (#28001C), so this page suggests #FFEBFA for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 16.72:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #582C4D and #7C3159 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #28001C as the background, #7C3159 for cards and surfaces, #4F0033 as the primary brand color, #582C4D as the accent, and #FFEBFA 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.
Use the lightest color for large areas, the mid tones for structure, and the darkest for text. Add contrast through lightness, since hue will not do it for you.
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 Espresso Ember accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.33:1 (#28001C on #825A79). 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 (#4F0033) 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 moody, intimate and rich feel works well.