Smoky Ink Zenith
Smoky Ink Zenith: a dark complementary palette of #686B04, #545B24, #3D326E, #2E1156, #151600. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.22:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on green, purple, black, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.22:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Muddy Green#686B04
A medium, moderately saturated green (Muddy Green) that brings a fresh, natural feel. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Reptile Revenge#545B24
A medium, muted yellow (Reptile Revenge) that brings light and cheer. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Her Highness#3D326E
A dark, moderately saturated purple (Her Highness) that brings quiet luxury. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Voldemort#2E1156
A very dark, moderately saturated purple (Voldemort) that brings quiet luxury. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Memorial Black#151600
A very dark, muted green (Memorial Black) that brings growth and calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.31:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.69:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly90% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Olive | Text | #686B04 | 51% |
| ≈ Pine | Accent | #545B24 | 45% |
| ≈ Plum | Surface | #3D326E | 36% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #2E1156 | 27% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #151600 | 19% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #F2F5D7 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #151600;
--color-surface: #3d326e;
--color-primary: #2e1156;
--color-accent: #545b24;
--color-text: #f2f5d7;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #151600;
--color-surface: #3d326e;
--color-primary: #2e1156;
--color-accent: #545b24;
--color-ink: #f2f5d7;
}
About this palette
Smoky Ink Zenith is palette number 6,347 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Ink (#2E1156), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Olive (#686B04) at the light end to Ink (#151600) at the dark end, covering 19% to 51% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Olive #686B04: suggested role text. It is a yellow color with 51% lightness and a chroma of 0.111.
2. ≈ Pine #545B24: suggested role accent. It is a green color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.078.
3. ≈ Plum #3D326E: suggested role surface. It is a violet color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.1.
4. ≈ Ink #2E1156: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.116.
5. ≈ Ink #151600: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.043.
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 yellow, green and violet families, spread across 185 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: 0 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.089 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 Olive (#686B04) with Ink (#151600) at a contrast ratio of 3.22:1, 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 (#151600), so this page suggests #F2F5D7 for text, a lightened Olive that reaches 16.41:1. 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: #151600 as the background, #3D326E for cards and surfaces, #2E1156 as the primary brand color, #545B24 as the accent, and #F2F5D7 for text (a computed lighter shade of Olive, 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 Smoky Ink Zenith accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.22:1 (#686B04 on #151600). 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?
Ink (#2E1156) 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.