#2A3A3E
#18282C
#4A5E62
#0C1618
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Dark Tide Color Palette

#2A3A3E · #18282C · #4A5E62 · #0C1618

Fail
WCAG Grade
1.6:1
Contrast Ratio
923
Saves
3,200
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #2A3A3E as the background. Use #18282C as the primary accent. Use #4A5E62 as secondary. Use #0C1618 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Dark Tide — moody, ocean, night, mono.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Dark Tide 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: 3.9%
42, 58, 62 32%, 6%, 0%, 76% 192°, 19%, 20%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 1.9%
24, 40, 44 45%, 9%, 0%, 83% 192°, 29%, 13%
Secondary
Luminance: 10.3%
74, 94, 98 24%, 4%, 0%, 62% 190°, 14%, 34%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.7%
12, 22, 24 50%, 8%, 0%, 91% 190°, 33%, 7%

Dark Tide 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 Dark Tide palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#2A3A3E muted cyan-blue
#18282C gently saturated cyan-blue
#4A5E62 muted teal
#0C1618 gently saturated teal

Dark Tide 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
#0C1618 on #4A5E62
Aa Sample Text
2.68:1 Fail Decorative use only
#4A5E62 on #0C1618
Aa Sample Text
2.68:1 Fail Decorative use only
#4A5E62 on #18282C
Aa Sample Text
2.23:1 Fail Decorative use only
#18282C on #4A5E62
Aa Sample Text
2.23:1 Fail Decorative use only
#4A5E62 on #2A3A3E
Aa Sample Text
1.73:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2A3A3E on #4A5E62
Aa Sample Text
1.73:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0C1618 on #2A3A3E
Aa Sample Text
1.55:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2A3A3E on #0C1618
Aa Sample Text
1.55:1 Fail Decorative use only
#18282C on #2A3A3E
Aa Sample Text
1.29:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2A3A3E on #18282C
Aa Sample Text
1.29:1 Fail Decorative use only
#0C1618 on #18282C
Aa Sample Text
1.21:1 Fail Decorative use only
#18282C on #0C1618
Aa Sample Text
1.21:1 Fail Decorative use only

Dark Tide Color Psychology & Meaning

A dark tide covers rock and weed in black water, and everything it leaves behind stays wet and darker than before, and this palette is tide dark with wet rock. It feels cold and cyclic, the color of a shoreline that changes twice a day.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Dark Tide 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

Intertidal organisms are exposed to air, sun, rain and predation between tides, which is why the band between high and low water is one of the most demanding habitats on any coast.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the tide dark for page backgrounds, deep tide for calls to action, wet rock for card accents, and low water black for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Film and television, thriller and horror titles, game studios.

Colors That Pair Well With Dark Tide

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 #18282C on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #18282C — 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 Dark Tide Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #18282C for small UI elements on #2A3A3E — at 1.3:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #0C1618 on #2A3A3E — 1.6:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #4A5E62 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #18282C.

How to Implement the Dark Tide Color Scheme

To use this Dark Tide 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 #2A3A3E for the main background and #18282C for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #0C1618 and #2A3A3E is 1.55:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Dark Tide Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Dark Tide color palette?

The Dark Tide palette contains #2A3A3E, #18282C, #4A5E62, #0C1618. 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 Dark Tide color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #0C1618 on #4A5E62 reaches 2.7:1 (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 Dark Tide palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #734A3F, #1B1F27, #ECEEEE 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 Dark Tide palette create?

Dark Tide reads as moody, ocean, night. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by muted cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Dark Tide color palette commercially?

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

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