Inky Ink Velvet
Inky Ink Velvet: a dark neutral with an accent palette of #6A6165, #5D5157, #4A3741, #34222B, #011D1B. Sleek, serious and minimal; best contrast 2.94:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on gray, pink, teal, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.94:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Morel#6A6165
A medium, neutral gray (Morel) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Magnet#5D5157
A dark, neutral gray (Magnet) that brings neutral balance. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Cowboy#4A3741
A dark, neutral gray (Cowboy) that brings calm restraint. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Bruised Plum#34222B
A very dark, neutral red (Bruised Plum) that brings a bold, confident accent. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Dark Moon#011D1B
A very dark, neutral black (Dark Moon) that brings depth and formality. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.60:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.51:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly97% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Slate | Text | #6A6165 | 50% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #5D5157 | 45% |
| ≈ Espresso | Accent | #4A3741 | 36% |
| ≈ Ink | Primary | #34222B | 28% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #011D1B | 21% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #F9EEF3 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #011d1b;
--color-surface: #5d5157;
--color-primary: #34222b;
--color-accent: #4a3741;
--color-text: #f9eef3;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #011d1b;
--color-surface: #5d5157;
--color-primary: #34222b;
--color-accent: #4a3741;
--color-ink: #f9eef3;
}
About this palette
Inky Ink Velvet is palette number 6,995 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a neutral with an accent scheme, and it is anchored by Ink (#011D1B), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as sleek, serious and minimal. Its colors run from Slate (#6A6165) at the light end to Ink (#011D1B) at the dark end, covering 21% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #6A6165: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.013, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Slate #5D5157: suggested role surface. It is a near-neutral color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.018, so it behaves like a neutral.
3. ≈ Espresso #4A3741: suggested role accent. It is a rose color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.031.
4. ≈ Ink #34222B: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.031.
5. ≈ Ink #011D1B: suggested role background. It is a teal color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.035.
Harmony and structure
Four low-chroma colors form a calm foundation and one saturated color from the far side of the wheel acts as the accent.
In this palette the hues fall in the rose and teal families, spread across 160 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-neutral: 2 of its 3 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.026 makes the saturation soft.
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 sleek, serious and minimal.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Slate (#6A6165) with Ink (#011D1B) at a contrast ratio of 2.94:1, 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 (#011D1B), so this page suggests #F9EEF3 for text, a lightened Slate that reaches 15.55:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #34222B and #011D1B may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #011D1B as the background, #5D5157 for cards and surfaces, #34222B as the primary brand color, #4A3741 as the accent, and #F9EEF3 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.
Spend the neutrals on backgrounds, text and surfaces, and save the accent for the one thing you want people to notice: a button, a link or a highlight.
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 Ink Velvet accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.94:1 (#6A6165 on #011D1B). 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 (#34222B) 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 sleek, serious and minimal feel works well.