#22242A
#0E0E12
#3A3E48
#040406
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Blackout Color Palette

#22242A · #0E0E12 · #3A3E48 · #040406

Fail
WCAG Grade
1.3:1
Contrast Ratio
1,110
Saves
2,318
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #22242A as the background. Use #0E0E12 as the primary accent. Use #3A3E48 as secondary. Use #040406 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Blackout — night, mono, moody, cool.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Blackout 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: 1.8%
34, 36, 42 19%, 14%, 0%, 84% 225°, 11%, 15%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 0.5%
14, 14, 18 22%, 22%, 0%, 93% 240°, 13%, 6%
Secondary
Luminance: 4.8%
58, 62, 72 19%, 14%, 0%, 72% 223°, 11%, 25%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.1%
4, 4, 6 33%, 33%, 0%, 98% 240°, 20%, 2%

Blackout 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 Blackout palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#22242A muted blue
#0E0E12 muted blue
#3A3E48 muted blue
#040406 muted blue

Blackout 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
#040406 on #3A3E48
Aa Sample Text
1.91:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3A3E48 on #040406
Aa Sample Text
1.91:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3A3E48 on #0E0E12
Aa Sample Text
1.80:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0E0E12 on #3A3E48
Aa Sample Text
1.80:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3A3E48 on #22242A
Aa Sample Text
1.45:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22242A on #3A3E48
Aa Sample Text
1.45:1 Fail Decorative use only
#040406 on #22242A
Aa Sample Text
1.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22242A on #040406
Aa Sample Text
1.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0E0E12 on #22242A
Aa Sample Text
1.24:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22242A on #0E0E12
Aa Sample Text
1.24:1 Fail Decorative use only
#040406 on #0E0E12
Aa Sample Text
1.06:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0E0E12 on #040406
Aa Sample Text
1.06:1 Fail Decorative use only

Blackout Color Psychology & Meaning

A blackout removes all electric light at once, and the sudden absence is more noticeable than the darkness itself, and this palette is blackout grey with candle grey. It feels disorienting and quiet, the color of a street that has stopped humming.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

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

Hue Wheel

A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.

History & Design Context

Major blackouts are usually caused by failures at the transmission level, and they reveal how much light a modern city emits; the 2003 North American blackout affected around 55 million people.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the blackout grey for large surfaces, power cut for links and buttons, candle grey for fine details, and total dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Hotels and lounges, nightlife, film and television.

Colors That Pair Well With Blackout

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 #0E0E12 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

violet

30° beside #0E0E12 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Blackout Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #0E0E12 for small UI elements on #22242A — at 1.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #040406 on #22242A — 1.3:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #3A3E48 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #0E0E12.

How to Implement the Blackout Color Scheme

To use this Blackout 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 #22242A for the main background and #0E0E12 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #040406 and #22242A is 1.32:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Blackout Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Blackout color palette?

The Blackout palette contains #22242A, #0E0E12, #3A3E48, #040406. 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 Blackout color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #040406 on #3A3E48 reaches 1.9:1 (Fail). 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 Blackout palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #65654E, #0F0E11, #ECEDEE 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 Blackout palette create?

Blackout reads as night, mono, moody. Muted blue drives the personality, grounded by muted blue — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Blackout color palette commercially?

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

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