Ink Black
A muted near-black with subtle magenta warmth
Ink Black is a dusty, near-black shade with subtle magenta undertones. This muted, serious color provides excellent contrast, as white text remains highly readable against it. The hex code #252024 works best as a moody background for modern UI designs or sophisticated branding. It avoids the harshness of pure black, offering a softer, more grounded alternative for dark mode layouts.
About Ink Black
Chalk dust settled in a shuttered attic
What does ink black mean?
Near-black shades with a plum cast commonly suggest formality, mystery, evening wear, and old ink on aged paper. Its very low lightness makes it feel heavy and enclosing, while the weak saturation keeps it muted instead of sharp.
Where you see ink black
- chalkboards
- cast iron skillets
- vinyl records
- leather-bound books
- burnt matches
- slate roof tiles
What it works for
Use it as a softer stand-in for pure black in dark mode interfaces, text, and moody print layouts.
What colors go with ink black?
Dusty Rose #b56f76The muted pink lifts the darkness without adding brightness, like dried petals on dark soil.Sage #9caf88Soft grey-green keeps the palette quiet and grounded beside this heavy near-black.Cream #fffdd0A warm pale neutral gives strong separation and keeps the darkness from feeling flat.Mustard #ffdb58The sharp yellow-brown cuts through the gloom and adds warmth to the ashy base.Mauve #e0b0ffIt echoes the magenta undertone already hiding in the shade and ties the scheme together.
Questions about Ink Black
What is the hex code for Ink Black?
Ink Black is #252024. In RGB that is rgb(37, 32, 36), in HSL hsl(312, 7%, 14%) and in CMYK 0%, 14%, 3%, 85%.
How does #252024 compare to standard pure black?
Unlike pure black, #252024 includes subtle magenta undertones that soften its appearance on screen. This specific blend creates a more organic, grounded feel for digital interfaces while maintaining the high contrast needed for white text to remain perfectly legible.
Is Ink Black readable on white or black?
Ink Black has a 16.02:1 contrast ratio on white and 1.31:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it works for body text and on black it is too faint for text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.