#23221A 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 #23221A works with other colors. Named schemes with #23221A 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 #23221A 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 #23221A at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.
:root {
--color-base: #23221A;
--color-base-rgb: 35 34 26;
--color-base-oklch: oklch(25.0% 0.015 101.5);
--color-50: #F9F8F6;
--color-100: #EEEDE7;
--color-200: #DCDBD0;
--color-300: #C1BFAE;
--color-400: #A5A38D;
--color-500: #88856D;
--color-600: #6A6858;
--color-700: #4D4C41;
--color-800: #34332D;
--color-900: #21201D;
--color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
graphite: {
50: '#F9F8F6',
100: '#EEEDE7',
200: '#DCDBD0',
300: '#C1BFAE',
400: '#A5A38D',
500: '#88856D',
600: '#6A6858',
700: '#4D4C41',
800: '#34332D',
900: '#21201D',
},
}
$base: #23221A; $base-ink: #FFFFFF; $base-50: #F9F8F6; $base-100: #EEEDE7; $base-200: #DCDBD0; $base-300: #C1BFAE; $base-400: #A5A38D; $base-500: #88856D; $base-600: #6A6858; $base-700: #4D4C41; $base-800: #34332D; $base-900: #21201D; $base-hover: #1C1B15; $base-subtle: #C3C2B4;
{
"color": {
"base": {
"value": "#23221A",
"type": "color"
},
"onBase": {
"value": "#FFFFFF",
"type": "color"
},
"scale": {
"50": {
"value": "#F9F8F6",
"type": "color"
},
"100": {
"value": "#EEEDE7",
"type": "color"
},
"200": {
"value": "#DCDBD0",
"type": "color"
},
"300": {
"value": "#C1BFAE",
"type": "color"
},
"400": {
"value": "#A5A38D",
"type": "color"
},
"500": {
"value": "#88856D",
"type": "color"
},
"600": {
"value": "#6A6858",
"type": "color"
},
"700": {
"value": "#4D4C41",
"type": "color"
},
"800": {
"value": "#34332D",
"type": "color"
},
"900": {
"value": "#21201D",
"type": "color"
}
}
}
}