#201C21 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 #201C21 works with other colors. Named schemes with #201C21 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 #201C21 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 #201C21 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.
:root {
--color-base: #201C21;
--color-base-rgb: 32 28 33;
--color-base-oklch: oklch(23.3% 0.011 319.5);
--color-50: #F8F7F8;
--color-100: #ECE9EC;
--color-200: #D8D3D9;
--color-300: #BBB2BD;
--color-400: #9D92A0;
--color-500: #7F7381;
--color-600: #645C66;
--color-700: #49444B;
--color-800: #322F32;
--color-900: #1F1D20;
--color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
graphite: {
50: '#F8F7F8',
100: '#ECE9EC',
200: '#D8D3D9',
300: '#BBB2BD',
400: '#9D92A0',
500: '#7F7381',
600: '#645C66',
700: '#49444B',
800: '#322F32',
900: '#1F1D20',
},
}
$base: #201C21; $base-ink: #FFFFFF; $base-50: #F8F7F8; $base-100: #ECE9EC; $base-200: #D8D3D9; $base-300: #BBB2BD; $base-400: #9D92A0; $base-500: #7F7381; $base-600: #645C66; $base-700: #49444B; $base-800: #322F32; $base-900: #1F1D20; $base-hover: #1A171A; $base-subtle: #BEB8C0;
{
"color": {
"base": {
"value": "#201C21",
"type": "color"
},
"onBase": {
"value": "#FFFFFF",
"type": "color"
},
"scale": {
"50": {
"value": "#F8F7F8",
"type": "color"
},
"100": {
"value": "#ECE9EC",
"type": "color"
},
"200": {
"value": "#D8D3D9",
"type": "color"
},
"300": {
"value": "#BBB2BD",
"type": "color"
},
"400": {
"value": "#9D92A0",
"type": "color"
},
"500": {
"value": "#7F7381",
"type": "color"
},
"600": {
"value": "#645C66",
"type": "color"
},
"700": {
"value": "#49444B",
"type": "color"
},
"800": {
"value": "#322F32",
"type": "color"
},
"900": {
"value": "#1F1D20",
"type": "color"
}
}
}
}