#333438 Hex Color
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Dark Kettle Black is a heavy, desaturated charcoal that sits just short of pure black. This hex code #333438 serves as a stable base for minimal UI interfaces, offering enough contrast for white text to remain highly readable. Because the shade is so muted, it benefits from mixing black or pairing with high-chroma accent colors to avoid appearing muddy. It is a reliable choice for professional, sophisticated branding.
About Dark Kettle Black
Charcoal dust swept across a cold windowpane
What does dark kettle black mean?
Dark Kettle Black often reads as shadowed metal, soot, and overcast weather, so people commonly link it with gloom and quiet toughness. Its very low lightness and near-zero saturation make it feel heavy, closed-in, and still, like a room an hour after sunset.
Where you see dark kettle black
- cast iron skillets
- chalkboards
- pencil lead
- storm clouds at dusk
- wet asphalt
- matte charcoal paper
What it works for
Use it as a near-black backdrop for light text, dark mode interfaces, moody photography frames, and grounding borders around brighter colors.
What colors go with dark kettle black?
Mustard #ffdb58The warm yellow glow cuts through the dark grey like lit windows on a dim street.Dusty Rose #b56f76A soft muted pink warms the ashy grey without competing with its low light.Sage #9caf88The muted green keeps things dusty and dim while adding a faint natural tint.Burnt Orange #cc5500Ember orange flares hard against this dark neutral, like coals in a grate.
Questions about Dark Kettle Black
What is the hex code for Dark Kettle Black?
Dark Kettle Black is #333438. In RGB that is rgb(51, 52, 56), in HSL hsl(228, 5%, 21%) and in CMYK 9%, 7%, 0%, 78%.
Is Dark Kettle Black readable on white or black?
Dark Kettle Black has a 12.43:1 contrast ratio on white and 1.68:1 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.