Shadow Sapphire Journey
Shadow Sapphire Journey: a dark split complementary palette of #1C6FAD, #435878, #622505, #312D04, #001727. Nocturnal, focused and cinematic; best contrast 3.40:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on blue, brown, yellow, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.40:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Matt Blue#1C6FAD
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Matt Blue) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Sailor#435878
A medium, muted blue (Sailor) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Hot Fudge#622505
A dark, moderately saturated brown (Hot Fudge) that brings natural comfort. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Secret Passage#312D04
A dark, muted brown (Secret Passage) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Oxford by Night#001727
A very dark, muted blue (Oxford by Night) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.23:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.92:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly96% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Sapphire | Text | #1C6FAD | 53% |
| ≈ Slate | Accent | #435878 | 46% |
| ≈ Brown | Primary | #622505 | 35% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Surface | #312D04 | 29% |
| ≈ Navy | Background | #001727 | 20% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #E8F3FE for text.
:root {
--color-background: #001727;
--color-surface: #312d04;
--color-primary: #622505;
--color-accent: #435878;
--color-text: #e8f3fe;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #001727;
--color-surface: #312d04;
--color-primary: #622505;
--color-accent: #435878;
--color-ink: #e8f3fe;
}
About this palette
Shadow Sapphire Journey is palette number 8,035 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Sapphire (#1C6FAD), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as nocturnal, focused and cinematic. Its colors run from Sapphire (#1C6FAD) at the light end to Navy (#001727) at the dark end, covering 20% to 53% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Sapphire #1C6FAD: suggested role text. It is a blue color with 53% lightness and a chroma of 0.124.
2. ≈ Slate #435878: suggested role accent. It is a blue color with 46% lightness and a chroma of 0.059.
3. ≈ Brown #622505: suggested role primary. It is a red color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.097.
4. ≈ Charcoal #312D04: suggested role surface. It is a yellow color with 29% lightness and a chroma of 0.058.
5. ≈ Navy #001727: suggested role background. It is a blue color with 20% lightness and a chroma of 0.045.
Harmony and structure
One hue is paired with the two hues flanking its opposite. You keep most of the energy of a complementary scheme with less tension and more variety.
In this palette the hues fall in the blue, red and yellow families, spread across 215 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 cool: 1 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 3 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.076 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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Sapphire (#1C6FAD) with Navy (#001727) at a contrast ratio of 3.40:1, 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 (#001727), so this page suggests #E8F3FE for text, a lightened Sapphire that reaches 16.21:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #622505 and #312D04 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #001727 as the background, #312D04 for cards and surfaces, #622505 as the primary brand color, #435878 as the accent, and #E8F3FE for text (a computed lighter shade of Sapphire, 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 lone hue as the dominant brand color and the two flanking hues as secondary and accent colors.
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 Sapphire Journey accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.40:1 (#1C6FAD on #001727). 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?
Brown (#622505) 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 nocturnal, focused and cinematic feel works well.