#DDDEDC
#8A8C8C
#4D5051
#141617
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Basalt Color Palette

#DDDEDC · #8A8C8C · #4D5051 · #141617

AAA
WCAG Grade
13.4:1
Contrast Ratio
1,136
Saves
2,782
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #DDDEDC as the background. Use #8A8C8C as the primary accent. Use #4D5051 as secondary. Use #141617 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Basalt — cool, mono, moody, ocean, earthy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Basalt color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).

Swatch Design Role HEX RGB CMYK HSL
Background
Luminance: 72.8%
221, 222, 220 0%, 0%, 1%, 13% 90°, 3%, 87%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 26.1%
138, 140, 140 1%, 0%, 0%, 45% 180°, 1%, 55%
Secondary
Luminance: 7.9%
77, 80, 81 5%, 1%, 0%, 68% 195°, 3%, 31%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.8%
20, 22, 23 13%, 4%, 0%, 91% 200°, 7%, 8%

Basalt Tints & Shades

Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Basalt palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#DDDEDC neutral gray
#8A8C8C neutral gray
#4D5051 neutral gray
#141617 neutral gray

Basalt Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)

Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.

Text on Background Preview Ratio Grade Safe For
#141617 on #DDDEDC
Aa Sample Text
13.45:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#DDDEDC on #141617
Aa Sample Text
13.45:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#4D5051 on #DDDEDC
Aa Sample Text
6.03:1 AA Body text, UI
#DDDEDC on #4D5051
Aa Sample Text
6.03:1 AA Body text, UI
#141617 on #8A8C8C
Aa Sample Text
5.37:1 AA Body text, UI
#8A8C8C on #141617
Aa Sample Text
5.37:1 AA Body text, UI
#8A8C8C on #DDDEDC
Aa Sample Text
2.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#DDDEDC on #8A8C8C
Aa Sample Text
2.50:1 Fail Decorative use only
#4D5051 on #8A8C8C
Aa Sample Text
2.41:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8A8C8C on #4D5051
Aa Sample Text
2.41:1 Fail Decorative use only
#141617 on #4D5051
Aa Sample Text
2.23:1 Fail Decorative use only
#4D5051 on #141617
Aa Sample Text
2.23:1 Fail Decorative use only

Basalt Color Psychology & Meaning

Basalt cools fast enough that it cracks into hexagonal columns, so a lava flow ends up looking like a quarry that was carved before humans existed, and this palette is coast pale with column mid. It feels geological and severe, the color of a cliff that was poured.

Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme

The Basalt palette is built using a triadic relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A triadic palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

Basalt is the most common rock on Earth's surface and covers most of the ocean floor; the Giant's Causeway columns formed as lava contracted on cooling around 60 million years ago.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the coast pale for hero surfaces, basalt gray for interactive elements, column mid for accents, and cliff dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Interiors, furniture, ceramics, hardware and homeware product design.

Colors That Pair Well With Basalt

Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.

red

directly opposite #8A8C8C on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

cyan-blue

30° beside #8A8C8C — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Basalt Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8A8C8C for small UI elements on #DDDEDC — at 2.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #141617 — 13.4:1 against #DDDEDC passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Let #4D5051 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #8A8C8C.

How to Implement the Basalt Color Scheme

To use this Basalt color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.

Option 1: CSS Variables

:root { 
  /* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'}  --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'}  --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'}  --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'}  --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}

Web Design Tip

Use #DDDEDC for the main background and #8A8C8C for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #141617 and #DDDEDC is 13.45:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Basalt Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Basalt color palette?

The Basalt palette contains #DDDEDC, #8A8C8C, #4D5051, #141617. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.

Is the Basalt color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #141617 on #DDDEDC reaches 13.4:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.

What colors go well with the Basalt palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #8D8B8B, #818C98, #141514 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.

What mood does the Basalt palette create?

Basalt reads as cool, mono, moody. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Basalt color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Basalt palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.

How do I add the Basalt palette to Tailwind or CSS?

Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Basalt's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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