Inky Rust Wharf
Inky Rust Wharf: a dark analogous palette of #A15639, #7E460C, #53340A, #322400, #181400. Moody, intimate and rich; best contrast 3.42:1.
A warm palette of 5 colors drawing on orange, brown, black, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.42:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Coconut#A15639
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Coconut) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Milk Chocolate#7E460C
A medium, moderately saturated brown (Milk Chocolate) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Moelleux au Chocolat#53340A
A dark, muted brown (Moelleux au Chocolat) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Secret Passage#322400
A very dark, muted brown (Secret Passage) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Soulless#181400
A very dark, muted black (Soulless) that brings depth and formality. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white18.43:1Excellent 5/5
- On black3.90:1Fair 2/5
- Color blind friendly94% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Rust | Text | #A15639 | 54% |
| ≈ Brown | Primary | #7E460C | 45% |
| ≈ Brown | Surface | #53340A | 35% |
| ≈ Charcoal | Accent | #322400 | 27% |
| ≈ Ink | Background | #181400 | 19% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FEEEE8 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #181400;
--color-surface: #53340a;
--color-primary: #7e460c;
--color-accent: #322400;
--color-text: #feeee8;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #181400;
--color-surface: #53340a;
--color-primary: #7e460c;
--color-accent: #322400;
--color-ink: #feeee8;
}
About this palette
Inky Rust Wharf is palette number 963 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a dark palette built on a analogous scheme, and it is anchored by Rust (#A15639), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as moody, intimate and rich. Its colors run from Rust (#A15639) at the light end to Ink (#181400) at the dark end, covering 19% to 54% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Rust #A15639: suggested role text. It is a red color with 54% lightness and a chroma of 0.108.
2. ≈ Brown #7E460C: suggested role primary. It is a orange color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.101.
3. ≈ Brown #53340A: suggested role surface. It is a orange color with 35% lightness and a chroma of 0.07.
4. ≈ Charcoal #322400: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.055.
5. ≈ Ink #181400: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 19% lightness and a chroma of 0.04.
Harmony and structure
The hues sit side by side on the color wheel, spanning roughly 60 degrees. Analogous palettes feel natural and flowing, like a sunset or a stretch of coastline.
In this palette the hues fall in the red, orange and yellow families, spread across 59 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: 4 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 0 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.075 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 Rust (#A15639) with Ink (#181400) at a contrast ratio of 3.42:1, 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 (#181400), so this page suggests #FEEEE8 for text, a lightened Rust that reaches 16.33:1. 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: #181400 as the background, #53340A for cards and surfaces, #7E460C as the primary brand color, #322400 as the accent, and #FEEEE8 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.
Let one hue lead and let the others support it. Keep one color noticeably lighter or darker than the rest so the layout has a clear focal point.
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 Rust Wharf accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.42:1 (#A15639 on #181400). 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 (#7E460C) 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.