#3A3E42
#22262A
#5A5E62
#14181C
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Wet Basalt Color Palette

#3A3E42 · #22262A · #5A5E62 · #14181C

Fail
WCAG Grade
1.7:1
Contrast Ratio
1,008
Saves
3,089
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #3A3E42 as the background. Use #22262A as the primary accent. Use #5A5E62 as secondary. Use #14181C as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Wet Basalt — moody, ocean, mono, cool.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Wet Basalt 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: 4.7%
58, 62, 66 12%, 6%, 0%, 74% 210°, 6%, 24%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 1.9%
34, 38, 42 19%, 10%, 0%, 84% 210°, 11%, 15%
Secondary
Luminance: 11.1%
90, 94, 98 8%, 4%, 0%, 62% 210°, 4%, 37%
Body Text
Luminance: 0.9%
20, 24, 28 29%, 14%, 0%, 89% 210°, 17%, 9%

Wet Basalt 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 Wet Basalt palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#3A3E42 neutral gray
#22262A muted cyan-blue
#5A5E62 neutral gray
#14181C muted cyan-blue

Wet Basalt 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
#14181C on #5A5E62
Aa Sample Text
2.73:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5A5E62 on #14181C
Aa Sample Text
2.73:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5A5E62 on #22262A
Aa Sample Text
2.33:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22262A on #5A5E62
Aa Sample Text
2.33:1 Fail Decorative use only
#14181C on #3A3E42
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3A3E42 on #14181C
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5A5E62 on #3A3E42
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3A3E42 on #5A5E62
Aa Sample Text
1.65:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22262A on #3A3E42
Aa Sample Text
1.41:1 Fail Decorative use only
#3A3E42 on #22262A
Aa Sample Text
1.41:1 Fail Decorative use only
#14181C on #22262A
Aa Sample Text
1.17:1 Fail Decorative use only
#22262A on #14181C
Aa Sample Text
1.17:1 Fail Decorative use only

Wet Basalt Color Psychology & Meaning

Wet basalt is nearly black when wet and grey when dry, so a coastline of the same rock changes colour with the tide, and this palette is basalt grey with spray sheen. It feels hard and cold, the color of rock that looks hotter than it is.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Wet Basalt 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

Basalt is a fine-grained volcanic rock that weathers to a dark grey, and its wet surface reflects far more light than its dry surface, which is why coastal basalt reads as two materials depending on the weather.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the basalt grey for hero surfaces, wet black for interactive elements, spray sheen for accents, and cooling dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

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

Colors That Pair Well With Wet Basalt

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 #22262A on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #22262A — 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 Wet Basalt Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #22262A for small UI elements on #3A3E42 — at 1.4:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #14181C on #3A3E42 — 1.7:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #5A5E62 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #22262A.

How to Implement the Wet Basalt Color Scheme

To use this Wet Basalt 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 #3A3E42 for the main background and #22262A for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #14181C and #3A3E42 is 1.65:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Wet Basalt Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Wet Basalt color palette?

The Wet Basalt palette contains #3A3E42, #22262A, #5A5E62, #14181C. 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 Wet Basalt color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #14181C on #5A5E62 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 Wet Basalt palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #63594F, #22222A, #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 Wet Basalt palette create?

Wet Basalt reads as moody, ocean, mono. Muted cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the deep base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Wet Basalt color palette commercially?

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

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