#1A1516 is a near-black neutral with only a whisper of temperate cast. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered, quietly premium. It holds up as a large surface and is too dark to lead as a primary accent.
Not just a swatch — here's how #1A1516 works with other colors. Named schemes with #1A1516 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.
Graphite is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Graphite.
Graphite plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.
Graphite sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.
Graphite sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.
Graphite is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Graphite carrying the quiet middle.
How #1A1516 actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.
Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #1A1516 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.
:root {
--color-base: #1A1516;
--color-base-rgb: 26 21 22;
--color-base-oklch: oklch(20.2% 0.008 4.3);
--color-50: #F8F6F7;
--color-100: #EDE8E9;
--color-200: #DBD2D4;
--color-300: #BFB1B3;
--color-400: #A29094;
--color-500: #847175;
--color-600: #685A5D;
--color-700: #4C4345;
--color-800: #332E2F;
--color-900: #201D1E;
--color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
graphite: {
50: '#F8F6F7',
100: '#EDE8E9',
200: '#DBD2D4',
300: '#BFB1B3',
400: '#A29094',
500: '#847175',
600: '#685A5D',
700: '#4C4345',
800: '#332E2F',
900: '#201D1E',
},
}
$base: #1A1516; $base-ink: #FFFFFF; $base-50: #F8F6F7; $base-100: #EDE8E9; $base-200: #DBD2D4; $base-300: #BFB1B3; $base-400: #A29094; $base-500: #847175; $base-600: #685A5D; $base-700: #4C4345; $base-800: #332E2F; $base-900: #201D1E; $base-hover: #141011; $base-subtle: #BFB4B6;
{
"color": {
"base": {
"value": "#1A1516",
"type": "color"
},
"onBase": {
"value": "#FFFFFF",
"type": "color"
},
"scale": {
"50": {
"value": "#F8F6F7",
"type": "color"
},
"100": {
"value": "#EDE8E9",
"type": "color"
},
"200": {
"value": "#DBD2D4",
"type": "color"
},
"300": {
"value": "#BFB1B3",
"type": "color"
},
"400": {
"value": "#A29094",
"type": "color"
},
"500": {
"value": "#847175",
"type": "color"
},
"600": {
"value": "#685A5D",
"type": "color"
},
"700": {
"value": "#4C4345",
"type": "color"
},
"800": {
"value": "#332E2F",
"type": "color"
},
"900": {
"value": "#201D1E",
"type": "color"
}
}
}
}