Dark Maroon Color Palette – HEX, RGB & Design Inspiration
Color Details
HEX: #946A6A
RGB: 148, 106, 106
HEX: #775151
RGB: 119, 81, 81
HEX: #603434
RGB: 96, 52, 52
HEX: #461E1E
RGB: 70, 30, 30
HEX: #2A0C0C
RGB: 42, 12, 12
Text on White/Black Backgrounds
Color Pair Combinations (10 total)
WCAG Contrast Standards:
- AAA (7:1): Enhanced contrast for maximum readability
- AA (4.5:1): Minimum for normal text (under 18pt)
- AA Large (3:1): Acceptable for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold)
- Fail: Below WCAG standards, not recommended for text
Recommended Text Colors
Horizontal (Left to Right)
background: linear-gradient(to right, #946A6A 0%, #775151 25%, #603434 50%, #461E1E 75%, #2A0C0C 100%);Vertical (Top to Bottom)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #946A6A 0%, #775151 25%, #603434 50%, #461E1E 75%, #2A0C0C 100%);Diagonal (Top Left to Bottom Right)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #946A6A 0%, #775151 25%, #603434 50%, #461E1E 75%, #2A0C0C 100%);Usage Tips:
- Copy the CSS code and paste directly into your stylesheets
- Linear gradients work great for backgrounds and hero sections
- Radial gradients are perfect for spotlights and focus effects
- Conic gradients create eye-catching loading spinners and progress indicators
- Smooth transitions ensure seamless color blending
Normal Vision
No color vision deficiency
Color Swatches
#946A6A
#775151
#603434
#461E1E
#2A0C0C
Full Palette View
How people with Normal Vision see it:
Overall Mood & Feel
Energetic, warm, and inviting, with a sophisticated and dramatic atmosphere
Emotional Impact
Stimulating and energetic, evoking feelings of excitement, warmth, and action. The dark tones establish a premium, sophisticated feel ideal for luxury positioning
Psychological Effect
This 5-color palette creates a energetic, warm, and inviting, with a sophisticated and dramatic atmosphere. It stimulates activity and engagement, increasing heart rate and mental alertness. The combination works together to create memorable visual experiences that influence consumer perception, decision-making, and brand recall. The rich variety provides versatility while maintaining cohesive emotional messaging across touchpoints.
Brand Personality Traits
Perfect For These Industries
Target Audience
Active, outgoing individuals who respond to energy and enthusiasm
Individual Color Psychology
#946A6A
Warm and romantic
Emotions Evoked
Personality Traits
Brand Traits
Ideal Industries
Marketing Use
Creates urgency, stimulates appetite, increases heart rate, and grabs attention. Perfect for clearance sales, food brands, and call-to-action buttons.
Cultural Meanings
Color Harmony Analysis
Palette Mood
Temperature
This palette combines balanced and dark & bold moods with warm tones, making it versatile for various design applications.
Professional Implementation Guide
This monochromatic dark maroon palette features 5 carefully selected warm tones that create a dramatic and sophisticated aesthetic. With medium contrast levels and moderate saturation, this palette is optimized for .
Web Design & Development
For web development, implement this palette with CSS variables for easy theme switching. Consider adding darker variants for better text readability.
- Apply the 60-30-10 rule for visual hierarchy
- Use accent colors for CTAs and hover states
- Maintain consistent color usage across all pages
- Test responsive behavior on multiple devices
Mobile App Interfaces
In mobile applications, these warm tones provide excellent battery efficiency on OLED screens. Use the subtle color variations to define clear touch targets.
- Design both light and dark mode variants
- Consider thumb-reach zones for color placement
- Test under direct sunlight and low light
- Use color to indicate interactive elements
Brand Identity Systems
Build a cohesive brand identity by designating specific colors for specific purposes. Establish your primary brand color from the most distinctive shade and create comprehensive brand guidelines specifying exact usage scenarios.
- Define primary, secondary, and accent colors
- Create usage rules for marketing materials
- Specify minimum sizes and clear space
- Document do's and don'ts for consistency
Frontend Development
Developers can integrate this palette efficiently using modern CSS techniques. Export as CSS variables for maximum flexibility, allowing theme switching and dynamic color updates without rewriting stylesheets.
- Use CSS custom properties for theming
- Implement semantic color naming conventions
- Create utility classes for rapid prototyping
- Consider CSS-in-JS for component-scoped colors
Print Design
For print materials, convert to CMYK using #946A6A as the dominant color for headers and #2A0C0C for accents. These colors translate well to print with minimal adjustment.
- Add to your design software color library
- Create swatches for quick color access
- Use CMYK values for print production
- Request color proofs before final print
Marketing Campaigns
Marketing materials benefit from consistent color usage that reinforces brand recognition. Apply this palette across email campaigns, landing pages, advertisements, and social media for maximum impact and memorability.
- Maintain color consistency across channels
- A/B test color variations for conversion
- Consider cultural color associations
- Align colors with campaign messaging
Strategic Color Distribution
Professional designers follow the 60-30-10 rule for balanced color distribution. Here's how to apply this principle with the Dark Maroon:
Dominant Color
#946A6AUse #946A6A as your primary color for headers, hero sections, and primary CTAs. This red tone should occupy about 60% of your design space.
Secondary Color
#603434Apply #603434 as your secondary color for subtle backgrounds and card components. Allocate approximately 30% of your layout to this color.
Accent Color
#2A0C0CReserve #2A0C0C for accent elements like buttons, links, and important highlights. This red accent should be used sparingly (10% of design) to draw attention to key actions.
Professional Best Practices
✓ Smart Usage Tips
- •Balance warm tones with neutral whites or grays to create visual breathing room
- •Ensure sufficient lighting contrast for text elements—use light text on dark backgrounds
- •Test your palette across different devices and lighting conditions before finalizing
✗ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- •Don't use all colors equally—establish clear visual hierarchy through color weight
- •Avoid low-contrast text combinations that strain readability
- •Don't rely solely on color to convey meaning (use icons, text, and patterns too)
- •Avoid inconsistent color usage across different pages or screens
- •Don't assume screen colors match print output—always request physical proofs
Palette Overview & Statistics
5
Total Colors
2
Associated Tags
4
Categories
2104
Community Likes
Color Analysis & Technical Guide
Detailed breakdown of each color's role, characteristics, and optimal applications. This monochromatic palette creates a dramatic and sophisticated aesthetic perfect for .
Individual Color Breakdown
Each color in this warm palette has been analyzed for its properties and ideal usage scenarios. The medium contrast and moderate saturation ensure harmonious visual relationships.
#946A6A
RED
#946A6A serves as the primary/dominant color in this palette. This medium red (muted) brings power and sophistication Use it for headers, navigation bars, and brand elements.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 17%L: 50%#775151
RED
#775151 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium red (muted) brings power and sophistication Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 19%L: 39%#603434
RED
#603434 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark red (moderately saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 30%L: 29%#461E1E
RED
#461E1E serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark red (moderately saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 40%L: 20%#2A0C0C
RED
#2A0C0C serves as the accent/highlight color in this palette. This dark red (moderately saturated) brings power and sophistication Use it for call-to-action buttons, links, important notifications, and interactive elements.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 56%L: 11%
Palette Characteristics
This palette exhibits distinct characteristics that make it particularly suitable for specific design applications and industries.
Warm colors create energy, excitement, and approachability. Perfect for brands targeting emotional connection.
Medium contrast provides visual interest while maintaining readability with proper text color choices.
Moderate saturation balances visual interest with professional restraint.
Dark tones create dramatic, sophisticated aesthetics and save battery on OLED displays.
💡 Pro Tips for This Palette
- Perfect for: . The monochromatic color relationship creates natural visual flow.
- Mood & Psychology: This palette evokes a dramatic and sophisticated feeling, making it ideal for brands seeking to convey those qualities.
- Accessibility: Test text combinations carefully with contrast checkers to ensure accessibility compliance.
- Extensions: Create tints (add white) and shades (add black) to expand this 5-color palette into a comprehensive design system.
- Cultural Context: Warm colors may have different meanings across cultures—verify associations with your target market.
Export Formats
Explore Dark Maroon Palette
The Dark Maroon color palette is a rich and evocative collection of hues that evoke feelings of luxury, warmth, and sophistication, with its deepest shade, 2A0C0C, setting the tone for a dramatic and intense visual experience. This monochromatic palette is characterized by a range of crimson and coral-inspired tones, from the lightest, 946A6A, which adds a touch of softness and elegance, to the darkest, 2A0C0C, which grounds the palette in depth and complexity. The overall effect is one of refined warmth, perfect for designs that require a sense of tradition and heritage, yet still feel modern and cutting-edge.
As we delve deeper into the palette, we find that each shade plays a unique role in creating a sense of harmony and balance. The mid-tone, 775151, serves as a bridge between the lighter and darker shades, adding a sense of nuance and subtlety to the design. The 603434 shade, with its slightly blue undertones, brings a sense of coolness and restraint to the palette, preventing the overall effect from feeling too overwhelming or dominant. Meanwhile, the 461E1E shade adds a sense of drama and intensity, drawing the viewer's eye and creating a sense of visual interest. Throughout the palette, each shade works together in perfect harmony, creating a sense of flow and continuity that is both visually appealing and emotionally engaging.
The Dark Maroon palette is incredibly versatile, and can be applied to a wide range of design contexts, from websites and apps to branding and marketing materials. For example, a website for a luxury fashion brand might use the 946A6A shade as its primary background color, with accents of 775151 and 603434 used to add depth and visual interest. A mobile app for a wine club might use the 461E1E shade as its primary color, with the 2A0C0C shade used to add a sense of sophistication and elegance. In terms of branding, the Dark Maroon palette is perfect for companies that want to convey a sense of tradition, heritage, and refinement, yet still feel modern and cutting-edge.
The psychology behind the Dark Maroon palette is fascinating, as each shade has a profound impact on the viewer's perception and behavior. The warmer shades, such as 946A6A and 775151, tend to evoke feelings of comfort and relaxation, while the cooler shades, such as 603434 and 2A0C0C, tend to create a sense of calmness and serenity. The 461E1E shade, with its intense, dramatic quality, can actually increase the viewer's heart rate and create a sense of excitement and energy. By carefully selecting and combining these shades, designers can create a visual experience that is both emotionally engaging and visually stunning.
For designers looking to get the most out of the Dark Maroon palette, there are a few pro tips to keep in mind. First, consider pairing the palette with complementary colors, such as blues and greens, to create a sense of contrast and visual interest. Second, use the 946A6A shade as a background color, and accent with the deeper, richer shades, such as 603434 and 2A0C0C, to create a sense of depth and dimensionality. Finally, don't be afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of the palette, using the 461E1E shade to add a sense of drama and intensity, or the 775151 shade to add a sense of nuance and subtlety. By following these tips, designers can unlock the full potential of the Dark Maroon palette, and create designs that are both visually stunning and emotionally engaging.
Palette Image
Below is the generated palette image showing all colors in a vertical layout. Perfect for sharing on social media or using as a reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about using and implementing the dark maroon palette effectively in your projects.