Named color

Black

Black color #000000: RGB 0, 0, 0 and HSL 0°, 0%, 0%. Explore its neutral gray profile, contrast, CSS, palettes and harmonies.

#000000 gray neutral dark neutral

HEX #000000

RGB rgb(0, 0, 0)

HSL hsl(0 0% 0%)

CMYK cmyk(0, 0, 0, 100)

Luminance 0

Contrast Black 1:1White 21:1

Use this color

Create with Black

Open a professional color tool with #000000 already applied. Each configuration stays canonical to the tool and can be adjusted or shared.

All color tools

Generate palette & CSS variablesCreate 50–950 tokens and export CSS, SCSS, JSON, or Tailwind.Open configured tool →Open in Gradient StudioStart with Black and its complementary color.Open configured tool →Mix this colorBlend it with a complementary color and copy color-mix() CSS.Open configured tool →Check contrastOpen the strongest black or white background pairing.Open configured tool →Accessible combinationsReview AA and AAA text options, alternatives, warnings, and UI guidance.Open configured tool →Create glass surfaceUse this color as the tint for a translucent UI panel.Open configured tool →

CSS Utilities

--color-black: #000000;
.bg-black { background-color: #000000; }
.text-black { color: #000000; }

Open CSS utility pageReusable variables, classes, examples, and implementation notes

Color history, meaning and use · Editorially reviewed

About Black Color

Black can describe a perceptual result, a material appearance, or a digital endpoint, and those meanings should not be collapsed. In additive screen color, the CSS keyword black is exactly #000000. Physical blacks instead depend on absorption, texture, gloss, illumination, and surrounding colors; even very dark pigments and coatings reflect some light.

The CSS value provides the lowest encoded sRGB channels and the strongest nominal contrast with white, making it useful for type, boundaries, and dark themes. Absolute black over large areas can feel visually severe, while reduced opacity changes the resulting color according to what lies beneath. Accessibility decisions must evaluate the composited foreground and background, not merely the source token.

This page documents the CSS/sRGB value, not a claim of perfect physical absorption, a pigment recipe, printing black, display calibration, or material match.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Black against black and white text.

Black text1:1AA Fail

White text21:1AA Pass

AA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5

AAA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5

Open WCAG pageDetailed contrast notes, warnings, alternatives, and UI examples

Downloadable color reference infographic

Black Color Reference Infographic

Save a high-resolution infographic of Black, including its color values, coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.

1200 × 800

Black color reference infographic showing #000000, RGB and HSL values, a coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast. — Black color reference infographic generated from the verified Colors Encyclopedia dataset.

Download WebP Download SVG Open full size

Color Harmonies

Black#000000 Black#000000 Black#000000 Black#000000 Black#000000

Open full Black harmony pageComplementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split, and monochromatic sets

Variants

#2E2E2E#2E2E2E Black#000000 Black#000000 Black#000000 #404040#404040 #290000#290000

Pairings

White#FFFFFF Black#000000 Black#000000 Black#000000 Matte Black#1A1A1A White Smoke#F5F5F5

Luminance0

Black text1:1AA Fail

White text21:1AA Pass

hexCanonical HEX value

rgbRed, green, blue channels

hslHue, saturation, lightness

cmykApproximate print conversion

wcagAA and AAA contrast options

harmoniesMathematical harmony sets

variantsGenerated tone variants

nearestColorsKnowledge graph neighbors

Structured sections

Color systems

{
  "hex": "#000000",
  "rgb": [
    0,
    0,
    0
  ],
  "hsl": [
    0,
    0,
    0
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    0,
    0,
    100
  ],
  "luminance": 0,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 1,
    "white": 21
  }
}

WCAG

{
  "AA": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5"
  ],
  "AAA": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5"
  ]
}

Harmonies

{
  "complementary": "#000000",
  "analogous": [
    "#000000",
    "#000000"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#000000",
    "#000000"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#000000",
    "#000000",
    "#000000"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#000000",
    "#000000"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#2E2E2E",
    "#000000",
    "#000000"
  ]
}

Variants

{
  "light": "#2E2E2E",
  "dark": "#000000",
  "saturated": "#000000",
  "desaturated": "#000000",
  "pastel": "#404040",
  "neon": "#290000"
}

Pairings

{
  "best": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#000000",
    "#000000",
    "#000000"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#000000",
    "#2E2E2E"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#FFFFFF"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#2E2E2E",
    "#000000"
  ]
}

Knowledge graph

{
  "nearestColors": [
    "carbon-black",
    "matte-black",
    "carbon-fiber",
    "raisin",
    "rubber"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "black"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "black-vs-carbon-black",
    "black-vs-matte-black"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/dark",
    "/colors/by-tone/neutral"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/black",
    "/wcag/black",
    "/css/colors/black",
    "/hex/000000",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/dark",
      "/colors/by-tone/neutral"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/black"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/carbon-black",
      "/colors/matte-black",
      "/colors/carbon-fiber",
      "/colors/raisin",
      "/colors/rubber",
      "/compare/black-vs-carbon-black",
      "/compare/black-vs-matte-black",
      "/harmonies/black",
      "/wcag/black",
      "/css/colors/black",
      "/hex/000000",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  }
}

Full JSON dataset

{
  "slug": "black",
  "name": "Black",
  "hex": "#000000",
  "family": "gray",
  "temperature": "neutral",
  "tone": [
    "dark",
    "neutral"
  ],
  "uses": [
    "text",
    "luxury branding",
    "high contrast"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "authority",
      "contrast",
      "formality"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "typography",
      "premium identity",
      "monochrome systems"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "low-contrast dark-on-dark interfaces"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [],
  "sourceType": "standard",
  "confidence": "high",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.w3.org/TR/css-color-4/#named-colors",
  "reviewStatus": "auto",
  "editorialNotes": "Generated from CSS named color data and computed color-system properties.",
  "origin": {
    "type": "css",
    "notes": "Standard CSS named color."
  },
  "tags": [
    "gray",
    "neutral",
    "dark",
    "text",
    "luxury-branding",
    "high-contrast",
    "authority",
    "contrast",
    "formality"
  ],
  "popularity": 84,
  "rgb": [
    0,
    0,
    0
  ],
  "hsl": [
    0,
    0,
    0
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    0,
    0,
    100
  ],
  "luminance": 0,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 1,
    "white": 21
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#000000",
    "analogous": [
      "#000000",
      "#000000"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#000000",
      "#000000"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#000000",
      "#000000",
      "#000000"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#000000",
      "#000000"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#2E2E2E",
      "#000000",
      "#000000"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#2E2E2E",
    "dark": "#000000",
    "saturated": "#000000",
    "desaturated": "#000000",
    "pastel": "#404040",
    "neon": "#290000"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-black: #000000;",
    "utility": ".bg-black { background-color: #000000; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-black { color: #000000; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "carbon-black",
    "matte-black",
    "carbon-fiber",
    "raisin",
    "rubber"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "black"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "black-vs-carbon-black",
    "black-vs-matte-black"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/dark",
    "/colors/by-tone/neutral"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/black",
    "/wcag/black",
    "/css/colors/black",
    "/hex/000000",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/dark",
      "/colors/by-tone/neutral"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/black"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/carbon-black",
      "/colors/matte-black",
      "/colors/carbon-fiber",
      "/colors/raisin",
      "/colors/rubber",
      "/compare/black-vs-carbon-black",
      "/compare/black-vs-matte-black",
      "/harmonies/black",
      "/wcag/black",
      "/css/colors/black",
      "/hex/000000",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#000000",
      "#000000",
      "#000000"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#000000",
      "#2E2E2E"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#FFFFFF"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#2E2E2E",
      "#000000"
    ]
  }
}

Black

Create with Black

CSS Utilities

About Black Color

WCAG Accessibility

Black Color Reference Infographic

Color Harmonies

Variants

Pairings

Machine-Readable Color Data (JSON)

Similar Colors

Related Color Guides