#EFEFEF
#2E2E30
#8E8E90
#101012
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Black Tie Color Palette

#EFEFEF · #2E2E30 · #8E8E90 · #101012

AAA
WCAG Grade
16.5:1
Contrast Ratio
1,193
Saves
1,587
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #EFEFEF as the background. Use #2E2E30 as the primary accent. Use #8E8E90 as secondary. Use #101012 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Black Tie — mono, royal, vintage, night.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Black Tie 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: 86.3%
239, 239, 239 0%, 0%, 0%, 6% 0°, 0%, 94%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 2.7%
46, 46, 48 4%, 4%, 0%, 81% 240°, 2%, 18%
Secondary
Luminance: 27.1%
142, 142, 144 1%, 1%, 0%, 44% 240°, 1%, 56%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.5%
16, 16, 18 11%, 11%, 0%, 93% 240°, 6%, 7%

Black Tie 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 Black Tie palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#EFEFEF neutral gray
#2E2E30 neutral gray
#8E8E90 neutral gray
#101012 neutral gray

Black Tie 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
#101012 on #EFEFEF
Aa Sample Text
16.53:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EFEFEF on #101012
Aa Sample Text
16.53:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#2E2E30 on #EFEFEF
Aa Sample Text
11.79:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#EFEFEF on #2E2E30
Aa Sample Text
11.79:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#101012 on #8E8E90
Aa Sample Text
5.81:1 AA Body text, UI
#8E8E90 on #101012
Aa Sample Text
5.81:1 AA Body text, UI
#8E8E90 on #2E2E30
Aa Sample Text
4.14:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E2E30 on #8E8E90
Aa Sample Text
4.14:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E8E90 on #EFEFEF
Aa Sample Text
2.84:1 Fail Decorative use only
#EFEFEF on #8E8E90
Aa Sample Text
2.84:1 Fail Decorative use only
#101012 on #2E2E30
Aa Sample Text
1.40:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E2E30 on #101012
Aa Sample Text
1.40:1 Fail Decorative use only

Black Tie Color Psychology & Meaning

Black tie is a dress code rather than a colour, but its palette is fixed: black wool, black satin and a white shirt, and this palette is shirt white with satin grey. It feels formal and sharp, the color of a room of identical dark jackets.

Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme

The Black Tie 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

Black tie as a dress code specifies a dinner jacket with satin or grosgrain facing, which produces a subtle tonal contrast between the matte wool and the shiny lapel.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the shirt white for backgrounds, tuxedo black for primary actions, satin grey for highlights, and bow tie black for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Product design, interfaces, industrial design, ceramics.

Colors That Pair Well With Black Tie

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.

yellow

directly opposite #2E2E30 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

violet

30° beside #2E2E30 — 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 Black Tie Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Use #2E2E30 for buttons and links — it scores 11.8:1 against the #EFEFEF background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
  • Set body text in #101012 — 16.5:1 against #EFEFEF passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
  • Don't use #8E8E90 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Black Tie Color Scheme

To use this Black Tie 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 #EFEFEF for the main background and #2E2E30 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #101012 and #EFEFEF is 16.53:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Black Tie Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Black Tie color palette?

The Black Tie palette contains #EFEFEF, #2E2E30, #8E8E90, #101012. 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 Black Tie color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #101012 on #EFEFEF reaches 16.5:1 (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 Black Tie palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #5B5B57, #2E2932, #151414 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 Black Tie palette create?

Black Tie reads as mono, royal, vintage. 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 Black Tie color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Black Tie 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 Black Tie 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 Black Tie's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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