Smoky Ink Kiln
Smoky Ink Kiln: a dark tetradic palette of #001915, #112253, #553841, #684F0F, #0B6F8A. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.17:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on black, purple, red, 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
- ≈ Sooty#001915
A very dark, neutral black (Sooty) that brings depth and formality. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark Soul#112253
A very dark, moderately saturated blue (Dark Soul) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Shadow Purple#553841
A dark, muted pink (Shadow Purple) that brings gentle playfulness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Ayahuasca Vine#684F0F
A dark, moderately saturated yellow (Ayahuasca Vine) that brings light and cheer. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Waterworld#0B6F8A
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Waterworld) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.26:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.65:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly95% 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 | #001915 | 19% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #112253 | 27% |
| ≈ Espresso | Surface | #553841 | 38% |
| ≈ Brown | Accent | #684F0F | 44% |
| ≈ Teal | Text | #0B6F8A | 50% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #E0F6FF for text.
:root {
--color-background: #001915;
--color-surface: #553841;
--color-primary: #112253;
--color-accent: #684f0f;
--color-text: #e0f6ff;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #001915;
--color-surface: #553841;
--color-primary: #112253;
--color-accent: #684f0f;
--color-ink: #e0f6ff;
}
About this palette
Smoky Ink Kiln is palette number 659 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Ink (#112253), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Teal (#0B6F8A) at the light end to Navy (#001915) at the dark end, covering 19% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Navy #001915: suggested role background. It is a teal color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.034.
2. ≈ Ink #112253: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.092.
3. ≈ Espresso #553841: suggested role surface. It is a rose color with 38% lightness and a chroma of 0.043.
4. ≈ Brown #684F0F: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 44% lightness and a chroma of 0.084.
5. ≈ Teal #0B6F8A: suggested role text. It is a cyan color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.091.
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 teal, blue, rose, yellow and cyan families, spread across 274 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: 2 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.069 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 Navy (#001915) with Teal (#0B6F8A) 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 (#001915), so this page suggests #E0F6FF for text, a lightened Teal that reaches 16.34:1. 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: #001915 as the background, #553841 for cards and surfaces, #112253 as the primary brand color, #684F0F as the accent, and #E0F6FF for text (a computed lighter shade of Teal, 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 Ink Kiln accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.17:1 (#001915 on #0B6F8A). 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 (#112253) 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.