Shadow Ink Quarry
Shadow Ink Quarry: a dark complementary palette of #31000B, #3C2123, #03433F, #285E60, #905B5F. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.38:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on red, teal, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.38:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Nether#31000B
A very dark, muted red (Nether) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Bruised Plum#3C2123
A dark, muted red (Bruised Plum) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Botanical Night#03433F
A dark, muted teal (Botanical Night) that brings clean, modern calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Deep Sea Diver#285E60
A dark, muted teal (Deep Sea Diver) that brings clean, modern calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Indian Silk#905B5F
A medium, muted red (Indian Silk) that brings appetite and urgency. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.49:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.84:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly92% 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 | #31000B | 20% |
| ≈ Espresso | Accent | #3C2123 | 28% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Primary | #03433F | 35% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #285E60 | 45% |
| ≈ Rust | Text | #905B5F | 53% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FFEDEE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #31000b;
--color-surface: #285e60;
--color-primary: #03433f;
--color-accent: #3c2123;
--color-text: #ffedee;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #31000b;
--color-surface: #285e60;
--color-primary: #03433f;
--color-accent: #3c2123;
--color-ink: #ffedee;
}
About this palette
Shadow Ink Quarry is palette number 691 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Ink (#31000B), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Rust (#905B5F) at the light end to Ink (#31000B) at the dark end, covering 20% to 53% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ink #31000B: suggested role background. It is a rose color with 20% lightness and a chroma of 0.08.
2. ≈ Espresso #3C2123: suggested role accent. It is a rose color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
3. ≈ Charcoal #03433F: suggested role primary. It is a teal color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.059.
4. ≈ Slate #285E60: suggested role surface. It is a teal color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.057.
5. ≈ Rust #905B5F: suggested role text. It is a rose color with 53% lightness and a chroma of 0.07.
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 rose and teal 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 warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.061 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 (#31000B) with Rust (#905B5F) at a contrast ratio of 3.38:1, 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 (#31000B), so this page suggests #FFEDEE for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 16.38:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #285E60 and #905B5F may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #31000B as the background, #285E60 for cards and surfaces, #03433F as the primary brand color, #3C2123 as the accent, and #FFEDEE for text (a computed lighter shade of Rust, 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 Shadow Ink Quarry accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.38:1 (#31000B on #905B5F). 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?
Charcoal (#03433F) 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.