Smoky Pine Estuary
Smoky Pine Estuary: a dark tetradic palette of #526F26, #17586C, #4C3061, #421E15, #011F19. Deep, dramatic and immersive; best contrast 3.02:1.
A cool palette of 5 colors drawing on green, blue, purple, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.02:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Botanical#526F26
A medium, moderately saturated green (Botanical) that brings balance and health. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Deep Lagoon#17586C
A dark, muted blue (Deep Lagoon) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Royal Crown#4C3061
A dark, moderately saturated purple (Royal Crown) that brings a creative, premium air. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Old Study#421E15
A dark, muted brown (Old Study) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Nightmare#011F19
A very dark, muted green (Nightmare) that brings a fresh, natural feel. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white17.33:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.66:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly91% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Pine | Text | #526F26 | 50% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #17586C | 43% |
| ≈ Plum | Primary | #4C3061 | 37% |
| ≈ Espresso | Accent | #421E15 | 28% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #011F19 | 21% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #EAF7DB for text.
:root {
--color-background: #011f19;
--color-surface: #17586c;
--color-primary: #4c3061;
--color-accent: #421e15;
--color-text: #eaf7db;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #011f19;
--color-surface: #17586c;
--color-primary: #4c3061;
--color-accent: #421e15;
--color-ink: #eaf7db;
}
About this palette
Smoky Pine Estuary is palette number 8,219 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Pine (#526F26), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as deep, dramatic and immersive. Its colors run from Pine (#526F26) at the light end to Ink (#011F19) at the dark end, covering 21% to 50% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Pine #526F26: suggested role text. It is a green color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.106.
2. ≈ Slate #17586C: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 43% lightness and a chroma of 0.071.
3. ≈ Plum #4C3061: suggested role primary. It is a violet color with 37% lightness and a chroma of 0.087.
4. ≈ Espresso #421E15: suggested role accent. It is a red color with 28% lightness and a chroma of 0.058.
5. ≈ Ink #011F19: suggested role background. It is a teal color with 21% lightness and a chroma of 0.038.
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 green, cyan, violet, red and teal 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: 1 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.072 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 Pine (#526F26) with Ink (#011F19) at a contrast ratio of 3.02:1, 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 (#011F19), so this page suggests #EAF7DB for text, a lightened Pine that reaches 15.54:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #421E15 and #011F19 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #011F19 as the background, #17586C for cards and surfaces, #4C3061 as the primary brand color, #421E15 as the accent, and #EAF7DB for text (a computed lighter shade of Pine, 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 Pine Estuary accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.02:1 (#526F26 on #011F19). 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?
Plum (#4C3061) 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.