Deep Sea Color Psychology & Meaning
Deep Sea is the world below 1000 meters — absolute darkness punctuated by bioluminescent blue. Where pressure creates strange beauty.
#000A14
#003366
#0066CC
#00CCFF
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Deep Sea Color Palette
#000A14 · #003366 · #0066CC · #00CCFF
AAA
WCAG Grade
10.5:1
Contrast Ratio
2,341
Saves
6,102
AI Copies
Use #000A14 as the background. Use #003366 as the primary accent. Use #0066CC as secondary. Use #00CCFF as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Deep Sea — night, cool, vibrant.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Deep Sea 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: 0.3% | 0, 10, 20 | 100%, 50%, 0%, 92% | 210°, 100%, 4% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 3.3% | 0, 51, 102 | 100%, 50%, 0%, 60% | 210°, 100%, 20% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 13.9% | 0, 102, 204 | 100%, 50%, 0%, 20% | 210°, 100%, 40% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 50.4% | 0, 204, 255 | 100%, 20%, 0%, 0% | 192°, 100%, 50% |
Deep Sea 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 Deep Sea palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#000A14 saturated cyan-blue
#003366 saturated cyan-blue
#0066CC saturated cyan-blue
#00CCFF saturated cyan-blue
Deep Sea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #00CCFF on #000A14 |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.52:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #000A14 on #00CCFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.52:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #00CCFF on #003366 |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.65:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #003366 on #00CCFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 6.65:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #0066CC on #000A14 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.58:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #000A14 on #0066CC |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.58:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #00CCFF on #0066CC |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.94:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #0066CC on #00CCFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.94:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #0066CC on #003366 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.27:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #003366 on #0066CC |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.27:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #003366 on #000A14 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.58:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #000A14 on #003366 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.58:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Deep Sea 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
Deep sea exploration photography from the 1970s onward documented a world of pure blue darkness. Jacques Piccard's bathyscaphe descents inspired an aesthetic of blue-black depth.
Best Design Use Cases
Near-black for the depth. Dark navy for structure. Electric blue for the single light source. Bright cyan for highlights.
Industries This Palette Suits
Marine, environmental, tech, science brands.
Colors That Pair Well With Deep Sea
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.
orange
directly opposite #003366 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
blue
30° beside #003366 — 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 Deep Sea Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #003366 for small UI elements on #000A14 — at 1.6:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #00CCFF — 10.5:1 against #000A14 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #0066CC carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #003366.
How to Implement the Deep Sea Color Scheme
To use this Deep Sea 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 #000A14 for the main background and #003366 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #00CCFF and #000A14 is 10.52:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Deep Sea Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Deep Sea color palette?
The Deep Sea palette contains #000A14, #003366, #0066CC, #00CCFF. 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 Deep Sea color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #00CCFF on #000A14 reaches 10.5:1 (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 Deep Sea palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #B35900, #050561, #E9EDF2 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 Deep Sea palette create?
Deep Sea reads as night, cool, vibrant. Saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Deep Sea color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Deep Sea 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 Deep Sea 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 Deep Sea's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.