Tints & Shades
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Scale from white (50) through Ink Black (500) to black (900), interpolated in Lab color space.
Color Values
- HEX
- #0C090A
- RGB
- rgb(12, 9, 10)
- HSL
- hsl(340, 14%, 4%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.144 0.006 355)
- CMYK
- cmyk(0%, 25%, 17%, 95%)
--color-ink-blackbg-[#0C090A]Accessibility
Score: 96/100On White (#FFF)
19.83:1
On Black (#000)
1.06:1
On Light Gray (#F5F5F5)
18.19:1
Best text color on this background:
Design Applications
background-color: #0C090A
color: #0C090A
bg-[#0C090A] text-[#FFFFFF]
border-left: 4px solid #0C090A
Color Harmonies
Similar Colors
Color Meaning & Psychology
Black absorbs all light and reflects none. It is the ultimate authority color — the color of formality, power, and sophisticated elegance. Black creates maximum contrast with other colors, making it a universal text and typography choice. In luxury branding, black signals exclusivity, restraint, and quality. In tech, matte black finishes convey premium build. Black clothing was historically mourning dress, then the Chanel "little black dress" made it the epitome of timeless style. In interface design, dark mode has made black backgrounds mainstream, valued for reduced eye strain and OLED power efficiency. Black's psychological weight means it should be deployed with intentionality — it commands the eye and the room. Its near-neutral saturation gives it a versatile, subdued character that works as a sophisticated accent without dominating a composition.
Industry Usage
Common contexts and industries where Ink Black is applied in professional design.
- Luxury fashion and premium apparel
- Prestige automotive brands
- High-end watches and jewelry
- Premium spirits and beverage brands
- Professional photography and videography
- Technology brands emphasizing premium tiers
- Music and entertainment industry branding
- Sophisticated cosmetics and fragrance
Accessibility Considerations
Normal Text
Passes AA
4.5:1 minimum required
Large Text
Passes AA Large
3:1 minimum required
UI Components
Meets 1.4.11
3:1 for non-text UI
Ink Black is a dark color. Use white (#FFFFFF) text on top of it for maximum readability (19.83:1). Avoid small black text on this background.
CSS & Code Examples
Background
background-color: #0C090A;Text
color: #0C090A;Border
border: 2px solid #0C090A;Box Shadow
box-shadow: 0 4px 20px #0C090A40;Gradient
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #0C090A, #333132);Tailwind-style
--color-ink-black: #0C090A;Tailwind CSS Utilities
Use arbitrary value syntax in Tailwind CSS to apply Ink Black without a custom config.
Background
bg-[#0C090A]Text
text-[#0C090A]Border
border-[#0C090A]Ring
ring-[#0C090A]Fill
fill-[#0C090A]From (gradient)
from-[#0C090A]Via (gradient)
via-[#0C090A]To (gradient)
to-[#0C090A]Design Tokens
Ready-to-use Ink Black design token in CSS custom properties, SCSS, Tailwind v3/v4, and JSON formats.
CSS Custom Properties
:root {
--color-ink-black: #0C090A;
--color-ink-black-rgb: 12, 9, 10;
--color-ink-black-hsl: 340, 14%, 4%;
}SCSS Variables
$color-ink-black: #0C090A; $color-ink-black-rgb: 12, 9, 10; $color-ink-black-hsl: 340, 14%, 4%;
Tailwind v3 Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'ink-black': '#0C090A',
},
},
},
};Tailwind v4 (@theme)
/* tailwind.css */
@theme {
--color-ink-black: #0C090A;
}JSON Design Token (W3C format)
{
"ink-black": {
"value": "#0C090A",
"type": "color",
"description": "Ink Black — #0C090A"
}
}More black colors
View all →What Does Ink Black Mean? Color Psychology & Cultural Symbolism
Black is the color that doesn't explain itself. Ink Black at #0C090A projects timelessness through maximum contrast and the complete absorption of light—a visual statement of completeness that design uses to signal premium, authority, and uncompromising quality.
- Black carries the heaviest semantic load of any color in Western culture—simultaneously the color of mourning, luxury, authority, and rebellion. In design, it projects absolute confidence and precision. Fashion's "little black dress" and luxury retail's black packaging demonstrate how black functions as the ultimate premium signal when used correctly.
- In Chinese culture, black represents water, wisdom, and the unknown—one of the five traditional colors associated with cosmic forces. In many East Asian aesthetics, black ink on white paper is the foundation of an entire artistic philosophy of simplicity, directness, and expressive precision.
- Ink Black's dark lightness (4%) shifts its psychological register: Pure and near-black tones are maximum design authority—the most contrast-giving background in all of design, and the foundation of luxury aesthetics worldwide.
- At 14% saturation, Ink Black reads as muted—Warm near-blacks (very dark browns, dark charcoal) soften pure black's coldness while retaining its authority—increasingly used in luxury and contemporary design as alternatives.
Ink Black is the most serious design choice. Make it when you mean it.
How to Use Ink Black in Design: Applications, Pairings & Best Practices
Ink Black is the designer's most powerful tool and most dangerous one. Its absolute authority concentrates attention perfectly—but used carelessly, it smothers what it should highlight.
- UI components: primary text, dark mode backgrounds, premium surface colors—Ink Black performs reliably in all these roles with its dark tonal character.
- Brand & identity: premium packaging, luxury retail, professional typography—contexts where Ink Black's muted quality creates the right register.
- Typography: Ink Black works as a background behind white text but requires careful sizing—test at intended heading and body sizes before finalizing.
- As a dark tone, Ink Black creates maximum contrast with white and light neutrals—excellent for creating premium dark-mode sections, bold headers, and high-drama brand moments
- Proportional use: Ink Black's muted quality means it scales well across proportions—from full-bleed backgrounds to single-pixel borders—making it an unusually versatile palette component.
Ink Black is the most serious design choice. Make it when you mean it.
Ink Black Accessibility: WCAG Contrast Ratios, Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Ink Black (#0C090A) achieves a 19.83:1 contrast ratio with white text, surpassing the WCAG 2.1 AAA threshold of 7:1. This exceptional contrast qualifies it for body text, UI components at any size, and all accessibility-sensitive interface contexts. Relative luminance: 0.3%.
- As text on white (#FFFFFF): 19.83:1 — AAA ✓
- As text on black (#000000): 1.06:1 — Fail
- Best text color on Ink Black background: White (#FFFFFF) at 19.83:1
- WCAG 2.1 luminance: 0.3% — low luminance (dark)—it provides strong contrast for white and light overlaid text, functioning well as a background in dark-mode and header contexts
- Ink Black qualifies for all text sizes including small body copy (AAA).
Always verify Ink Black at its final intended size and weight using a real contrast checker—font weight and rendering environment affect perceived legibility beyond what raw ratios capture.
Ink Black in Industry: Branding, Design & Market Applications
Ink Black's brand positioning falls squarely in the territory of power, sophistication, authority, and elegance. Industry data supports its strongest performance in luxury & fashion, technology, automotive categories, where the muted saturation calibrates the message at a dark, considered level.
- Luxury & Fashion: Black is luxury's default language—from Chanel's packaging to Apple's product photography, it signals premium, exclusive, and uncompromising quality. In fashion, it's simultaneously the most versatile and the most authoritative choice. Matte black signals premium restraint; glossy black signals dramatic luxury. The finish matters as much as the color.
- Technology: Dark mode interfaces and premium device aesthetics have made black a technology color as much as a luxury one. Apple's product line, premium audio equipment, and high-end consumer electronics all use black to signal technical precision and premium positioning. (examples: Apple, Microsoft, Salesforce) Black in tech interfaces benefits from accent colors that pop against it—cyan, neon, and pure white are classic pairings.
- Media & Entertainment: Movie credits, music packaging, editorial magazine design, and streaming platforms use black to focus attention and signal cultural seriousness. It's the color of concentrated attention—everything unnecessary falls away in a black-dominated design. (examples: Disney+, Hulu, Netflix) The black-and-white combination is the most timeless in editorial design for its ability to focus on content without visual noise.
- Brand positioning: Ink Black is best suited for brands projecting precision, power, sophistication. Categories outside this positioning—children's products—tend to see weaker results.
- Adjacent applications: Beyond primary industries, Ink Black works effectively in editorial design, high-end brand identities, dark-mode interfaces—contexts where power serves a secondary but reinforcing role.
For marketers and brand strategists, Ink Black is a commitment to power, sophistication, authority, and elegance. Match it with industries that make that promise and it will pay dividends consistently.
Accessibility & Design Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the hex code for Ink Black? ▾
- The hex code for Ink Black is #0C090A. Its RGB values are rgb(12, 9, 10) and its HSL values are hsl(340, 14%, 4%).
- What does Ink Black mean in design? ▾
- Black absorbs all light and reflects none. It is the ultimate authority color — the color of formality, power, and sophisticated elegance. Black creates maximum contrast with other colors, making it a universal text and typography choice. In luxury branding, black signals exclusivity, restraint, and quality. In tech, matte black finishes convey premium build. Black clothing was historically mourning dress, then the Chanel "little black dress" made it the epitome of timeless style. In interface design, dark mode has made black backgrounds mainstream, valued for reduced eye strain and OLED power efficiency. Black's psychological weight means it should be deployed with intentionality — it commands the eye and the room. Its near-neutral saturation gives it a versatile, subdued character that works as a sophisticated accent without dominating a composition.
- Is Ink Black WCAG accessible? ▾
- Ink Black (#0C090A) passes WCAG AAA on white with a 19.83:1 contrast ratio. Its overall accessibility score is 96/100.
- What colors go well with Ink Black? ▾
- Ink Black pairs well with its complementary color Aquamarine (#7FFFD4). Analogous colors like Byzantium and Imperial Purple also work harmoniously. Check the Color Harmonies section above for the full palette.
- What is Ink Black used for? ▾
- Ink Black is commonly used for: Luxury fashion and premium apparel; Prestige automotive brands; High-end watches and jewelry; Premium spirits and beverage brands; Professional photography and videography.
- What are the CSS and Tailwind values for Ink Black? ▾
- In CSS, use `color: #0C090A` or `background-color: #0C090A`. The CSS custom property is `--color-ink-black: #0C090A`. In Tailwind CSS, use the arbitrary value class `bg-[#0C090A]` for backgrounds or `text-[#0C090A]` for text.