What color is #231B0B?

#231B0B is a very dark low-chroma warm gray with a subtle warm cast. In RGB it is rgb(35, 27, 11), and in HSL hsl(40, 52%, 9%).

Is #231B0B accessible as text?

On white, #231B0B has a contrast ratio of 17.03:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.23:1 (fails). For text placed on #231B0B, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #231B0B?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is stone-900 (#1C1917).

What colors go well with #231B0B?

As a neutral, #231B0B pairs cleanly with white, off-white and light grays for text, and sits under accent hues like blue, violet, emerald or warm orange — use it as a dark surface or high-contrast base and let the accent carry the color.

Is #231B0B the same as CSS midnightblue?

No — #231B0B is not the CSS named color midnightblue, but midnightblue (#191970) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#231B0B Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #231B0B

Not just a swatch — here's how #231B0B works with other colors. Named schemes with #231B0B in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #231B0B Secondary #B36714 Accent #707946 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3B2A1F

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

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #231B0B Secondary #794B21 Surface #E8DAC0 Accent #40503D Anchor #5B2228

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.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #231B0B Surface #E0CFA8 Secondary #AE7B52 Accent #929970 Anchor #3E2C1F

Graphite holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #231B0B Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B9AF9F Ink #2B2723

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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #231B0B Secondary #423F39 Support #9A9186 Ink #17140F

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 #231B0B 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 57/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 25/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 73/100

High

Deep and grounding — anchors a layout, strong dark-mode base.

Naturalness 46/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 34/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 73/100

High

Restrained and premium — deep, quiet, high-end packaging and fashion.

Brand distinctiveness 12/100

Very low

Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.

UI accent fit 12/100

Very low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 61/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 96/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #231B0B

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #231B0B with

Oxblood Graphite Greige Army Green

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 17.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E2D6BF for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #23230B — 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 #231B0B at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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:root {
  --color-base: #231B0B;
  --color-base-rgb: 35 27 11;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(22.7% 0.030 83.5);
  --color-50: #FCF9F3;
  --color-100: #F6EEDF;
  --color-200: #EBDDC1;
  --color-300: #D9C396;
  --color-400: #C4A76E;
  --color-500: #A88A4D;
  --color-600: #816C41;
  --color-700: #5C4E32;
  --color-800: #3D3524;
  --color-900: #262118;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  graphite: {
    50: '#FCF9F3',
    100: '#F6EEDF',
    200: '#EBDDC1',
    300: '#D9C396',
    400: '#C4A76E',
    500: '#A88A4D',
    600: '#816C41',
    700: '#5C4E32',
    800: '#3D3524',
    900: '#262118',
  },
}

$base: #231B0B;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FCF9F3;
$base-100: #F6EEDF;
$base-200: #EBDDC1;
$base-300: #D9C396;
$base-400: #C4A76E;
$base-500: #A88A4D;
$base-600: #816C41;
$base-700: #5C4E32;
$base-800: #3D3524;
$base-900: #262118;
$base-hover: #1C1609;
$base-subtle: #D5C39E;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#231B0B",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FCF9F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F6EEDF",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#EBDDC1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#D9C396",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C4A76E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A88A4D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#816C41",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5C4E32",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3D3524",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#262118",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #231B0B

Color Lab

Pairs with #231B0B

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export