Midnight Navy Color Palette
#DCE0EA · #101A36 · #1E2C52 · #060A16
Use #DCE0EA as the background. Use #101A36 as the primary accent. Use #1E2C52 as secondary. Use #060A16 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Midnight Navy — night, cool, royal, moody.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Midnight Navy 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: 74.5% | 220, 224, 234 | 6%, 4%, 0%, 8% | 223°, 25%, 89% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 1.1% | 16, 26, 54 | 70%, 52%, 0%, 79% | 224°, 54%, 14% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 2.7% | 30, 44, 82 | 63%, 46%, 0%, 68% | 224°, 46%, 22% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 0.3% | 6, 10, 22 | 73%, 55%, 0%, 91% | 225°, 57%, 5% |
Midnight Navy 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 Midnight Navy palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Midnight Navy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #060A16 on #DCE0EA |
Aa Sample Text
| 14.96:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #DCE0EA on #060A16 |
Aa Sample Text
| 14.96:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #101A36 on #DCE0EA |
Aa Sample Text
| 12.99:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #DCE0EA on #101A36 |
Aa Sample Text
| 12.99:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1E2C52 on #DCE0EA |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.34:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #DCE0EA on #1E2C52 |
Aa Sample Text
| 10.34:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #060A16 on #1E2C52 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.45:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1E2C52 on #060A16 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.45:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #1E2C52 on #101A36 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.26:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #101A36 on #1E2C52 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.26:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #060A16 on #101A36 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.15:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #101A36 on #060A16 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.15:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Midnight Navy 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.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Midnight Navy
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.
directly opposite #101A36 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #101A36 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Midnight Navy Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #101A36 for buttons and links — it scores 13.0:1 against the #DCE0EA background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #060A16 — 15.0:1 against #DCE0EA passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #1E2C52 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a deep lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #101A36.
How to Implement the Midnight Navy Color Scheme
To use this Midnight Navy 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 #DCE0EA for the main background and #101A36 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #060A16 and #DCE0EA is 14.96:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Midnight Navy Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Midnight Navy color palette?
The Midnight Navy palette contains #DCE0EA, #101A36, #1E2C52, #060A16. 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 Midnight Navy color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #060A16 on #DCE0EA reaches 15.0:1 (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 Midnight Navy palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #897029, #1B1433, #131416 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 Midnight Navy palette create?
Midnight Navy reads as night, cool, royal. Gently saturated blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated blue — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Midnight Navy color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Midnight Navy 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 Midnight Navy 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 Midnight Navy's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.