Nearest named color: Graphite
#231914
#231914
Nearest named
Graphite
Family
Gray
Lightness
22.4%
Chroma
0.019
Hue angle
47.9°
Temperature
Warm
Contrast on white
17.20:1 · AAA
Contrast on black
1.08:1 · Fail
Web-safe
#330000
CSS oklch()
22% 0.02 48

#231914 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.

Palettes built on #231914

Not just a swatch — here's how #231914 works with other colors. Named schemes with #231914 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

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.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

This palette keeps Graphite as the dominant warm neutral, balanced by muted terracotta and olive earth tones and grounded by a deep espresso anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

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.

Luxury Packaging Feature · 5 colors

Graphite carries the depth in this luxury scheme, offset by a brass accent and near-black and held together by a deep neutral and an off-white surface.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

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.

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Color Lab

How #231914 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.

Warmth 56/100
Neutral
Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.
Softness 25/100
Low
Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.
Depth 72/100
High
Deep and grounding — anchors a layout, strong dark-mode base.
Naturalness 35/100
Low
Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.
Vintage feel 32/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 72/100
High
Restrained and premium — deep, quiet, high-end packaging and fashion.
Brand distinctiveness 7/100
Very low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 11/100
Very low
Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.
Surface fit 65/100
High
Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.
Print safety 98/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #231914

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #231914 with

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with white label. AAA
Body text Passes on white at 16px and above. Pass
Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass
Background Pair with white text at 17.2:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #DACFC9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #241F14 — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #231914 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI
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Dashboard
Revenue
$48.2k ▲ 12%
Brand
AVELINE
Studio
Poster
Nov 14 · 8PM
NIGHT
MARKET
Packaging
BLOOM
Botanical Wash
250 ml
Interior

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #231914;
  --color-base-rgb: 35 25 20;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(22.4% 0.019 47.9);
  --color-50: #FAF7F5;
  --color-100: #F0E9E5;
  --color-200: #E1D3CB;
  --color-300: #C9B2A6;
  --color-400: #AF9283;
  --color-500: #927263;
  --color-600: #725B50;
  --color-700: #52443D;
  --color-800: #372E2A;
  --color-900: #221D1B;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}