Subtly Muted Black Color Palette – HEX, RGB & Design Inspiration
Color Details
HEX: #0F0E0E
RGB: 15, 14, 14
HEX: #030504
RGB: 3, 5, 4
HEX: #121212
RGB: 18, 18, 18
HEX: #000000
RGB: 0, 0, 0
HEX: #030305
RGB: 3, 3, 5
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, #0F0E0E 0%, #030504 25%, #121212 50%, #000000 75%, #030305 100%);Vertical (Top to Bottom)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #0F0E0E 0%, #030504 25%, #121212 50%, #000000 75%, #030305 100%);Diagonal (Top Left to Bottom Right)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #0F0E0E 0%, #030504 25%, #121212 50%, #000000 75%, #030305 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
#0F0E0E
#030504
#121212
#000000
#030305
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. 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
Affluent consumers seeking premium, high-quality products and experiences
Individual Color Psychology
#0F0E0E
Sophisticated and powerful
Emotions Evoked
Personality Traits
Brand Traits
Ideal Industries
Marketing Use
Conveys luxury, power, and sophistication. Makes colors stand out when used as background. Popular in high-end fashion and technology. Can be overwhelming if overused.
Cultural Meanings
Color Harmony Analysis
Palette Mood
Temperature
This palette combines dark & bold moods with warm and neutral and cool tones, making it versatile for various design applications.
Professional Implementation Guide
This complementary subtly muted black palette features 5 carefully selected warm tones that create a dramatic and sophisticated aesthetic. With low contrast levels and muted 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 #0F0E0E as the dominant color for headers and #030305 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 Subtly Muted Black:
Dominant Color
#0F0E0EUse #0F0E0E as your primary color for headers, hero sections, and primary CTAs. This black tone should occupy about 60% of your design space.
Secondary Color
#121212Apply #121212 as your secondary color for subtle backgrounds and card components. Allocate approximately 30% of your layout to this color.
Accent Color
#030305Reserve #030305 for accent elements like buttons, links, and important highlights. This blue accent should be used sparingly (10% of design) to draw attention to key actions.
Professional Best Practices
✓ Smart Usage Tips
- •Add white or black text overlays to improve readability on colored backgrounds
- •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
3
Associated Tags
4
Categories
1155
Community Likes
Color Analysis & Technical Guide
Detailed breakdown of each color's role, characteristics, and optimal applications. This complementary 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 low contrast and muted saturation ensure harmonious visual relationships.
#0F0E0E
BLACK
#0F0E0E serves as the primary/dominant color in this palette. This dark black (muted) brings elegance and authority Use it for headers, navigation bars, and brand elements.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 3%L: 6%#030504
GREEN
#030504 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark green (muted) brings stability and prosperity Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 150°S: 25%L: 2%#121212
BLACK
#121212 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark black (muted) brings elegance and authority Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 0%L: 7%#000000
BLACK
#000000 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark black (muted) brings elegance and authority Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 0°S: 0%L: 0%#030305
BLUE
#030305 serves as the accent/highlight color in this palette. This dark blue (muted) brings professionalism and depth Use it for call-to-action buttons, links, important notifications, and interactive elements.
Dark toneH: 240°S: 25%L: 2%
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.
Low contrast creates subtle, sophisticated aesthetics but requires careful attention to text legibility.
Muted saturation offers sophistication and reduces visual fatigue, ideal for content-heavy applications.
Dark tones create dramatic, sophisticated aesthetics and save battery on OLED displays.
💡 Pro Tips for This Palette
- Perfect for: . The complementary 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 Subtly Muted Black Palette
The Subtly Muted Black color palette is a masterful blend of deep, rich shades that evoke a sense of calm and serenity, perfect for designs that require a sense of sophistication and elegance. At its core, this palette is about creating a mood that is both soothing and dramatic, with a range of colors that work in harmony to produce a sense of depth and nuance. The palette's darkest shade, a profound 000000, provides a sense of solidity and foundation, while the slightly lighter 030504 adds a touch of warmth and subtlety, reminiscent of a sage or navy undertone.
As we delve deeper into the palette, we find that each color plays a unique role in creating the overall aesthetic. The 121212, for example, is a versatile shade that can be used as a background or accent color, adding a sense of balance and stability to the design. The 030305, on the other hand, is a slightly cooler shade that can be used to create contrast and visual interest, particularly when paired with the warmer tones of coral. The 0F0E0E, with its slightly blue undertone, adds a sense of calmness and serenity to the palette, making it perfect for designs that require a sense of tranquility. When used together, these colors create a sense of cohesion and flow, making the Subtly Muted Black palette perfect for designs that require a sense of sophistication and elegance.
The Subtly Muted Black color palette is incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of design applications, from websites and apps to branding and marketing materials. For example, a website that uses this palette as its primary color scheme can create a sense of luxury and sophistication, perfect for high-end fashion or lifestyle brands. Similarly, a mobile app that uses this palette can create a sense of calmness and serenity, making it perfect for meditation or wellness apps. The palette's dark and muted tones also make it perfect for designs that require a sense of drama and contrast, such as a movie or theater website.
The psychology behind the Subtly Muted Black color palette is also worth exploring, as it can have a profound impact on viewer perception and behavior. The dark and muted tones can create a sense of mystery and intrigue, making the viewer more likely to engage with the design. The palette's calming and soothing qualities can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, making it perfect for designs that require a sense of relaxation and tranquility. Furthermore, the palette's use of sage, navy, and coral undertones can create a sense of balance and harmony, making it perfect for designs that require a sense of stability and growth.
For designers looking to get the most out of the Subtly Muted Black color palette, there are a few pro tips to keep in mind. First, consider pairing the palette with complementary colors such as light gray or beige to create contrast and visual interest. Additionally, the palette's dark and muted tones can be used to create a sense of depth and dimension, making it perfect for designs that require a sense of layering and texture. When using the palette, it's also important to consider the 60-30-10 rule, where 60 percent of the design is dominated by a single color, 30 percent by a secondary color, and 10 percent by an accent color. By following these guidelines and using the Subtly Muted Black color palette in a thoughtful and intentional way, designers can create designs that are both beautiful and effective.
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 subtly muted black palette effectively in your projects.