#1E1E16 is a near-black neutral with only a whisper of temperate cast. On the Color Lab it reads quietly premium, restrained and easy to live with. It holds up as a large surface and is too dark to lead as a primary accent.
Not just a swatch — here's how #1E1E16 works with other colors. Named schemes with #1E1E16 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.
Graphite leads this botanical set among foliage greens and a terracotta accent, softened by cream and grounded in bark brown.
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 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 #1E1E16 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 #1E1E16 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.
:root {
--color-base: #1E1E16;
--color-base-rgb: 30 30 22;
--color-base-oklch: oklch(23.2% 0.015 107.5);
--color-50: #F9F9F6;
--color-100: #EEEEE7;
--color-200: #DCDCD0;
--color-300: #C1C1AE;
--color-400: #A5A58D;
--color-500: #88886D;
--color-600: #6A6A58;
--color-700: #4D4D41;
--color-800: #34342D;
--color-900: #21211D;
--color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
graphite: {
50: '#F9F9F6',
100: '#EEEEE7',
200: '#DCDCD0',
300: '#C1C1AE',
400: '#A5A58D',
500: '#88886D',
600: '#6A6A58',
700: '#4D4D41',
800: '#34342D',
900: '#21211D',
},
}
$base: #1E1E16; $base-ink: #FFFFFF; $base-50: #F9F9F6; $base-100: #EEEEE7; $base-200: #DCDCD0; $base-300: #C1C1AE; $base-400: #A5A58D; $base-500: #88886D; $base-600: #6A6A58; $base-700: #4D4D41; $base-800: #34342D; $base-900: #21211D; $base-hover: #171711; $base-subtle: #C2C2B2;
{
"color": {
"base": {
"value": "#1E1E16",
"type": "color"
},
"onBase": {
"value": "#FFFFFF",
"type": "color"
},
"scale": {
"50": {
"value": "#F9F9F6",
"type": "color"
},
"100": {
"value": "#EEEEE7",
"type": "color"
},
"200": {
"value": "#DCDCD0",
"type": "color"
},
"300": {
"value": "#C1C1AE",
"type": "color"
},
"400": {
"value": "#A5A58D",
"type": "color"
},
"500": {
"value": "#88886D",
"type": "color"
},
"600": {
"value": "#6A6A58",
"type": "color"
},
"700": {
"value": "#4D4D41",
"type": "color"
},
"800": {
"value": "#34342D",
"type": "color"
},
"900": {
"value": "#21211D",
"type": "color"
}
}
}
}