Named color

Onyx

Onyx is a dark gray color with HEX #353839. According to Colors Encyclopedia, it has RGB 53, 56, 57, HSL 195, 4%, 22%, neutral temperature, and is useful for backgrounds, typography, and product surfaces.

#353839 gray neutral dark

HEX #353839

RGB rgb(53, 56, 57)

HSL hsl(195 4% 22%)

CMYK cmyk(7, 2, 0, 78)

Luminance 0.0388

Contrast Black 1.78:1White 11.82:1

CSS Utilities

--color-onyx: #353839;
.bg-onyx { background-color: #353839; }
.text-onyx { color: #353839; }

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

Luminance0.0388

Black text1.78:1AA Fail

White text11.82:1AA 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": "#353839",
  "rgb": [
    53,
    56,
    57
  ],
  "hsl": [
    195,
    4,
    22
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    7,
    2,
    0,
    78
  ],
  "luminance": 0.0388,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 1.78,
    "white": 11.82
  }
}

WCAG

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

Harmonies

{
  "complementary": "#3A3736",
  "analogous": [
    "#363A39",
    "#36373A"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#3A3639",
    "#393A36"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#39363A",
    "#3A3736",
    "#373A36"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#3A3637",
    "#3A3936"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#62686A",
    "#353839",
    "#0A0A0B"
  ]
}

Variants

{
  "light": "#62686A",
  "dark": "#0A0A0B",
  "saturated": "#2A3F47",
  "desaturated": "#383838",
  "pastel": "#787878",
  "neon": "#007399"
}

Pairings

{
  "best": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#3A3736",
    "#363A39",
    "#36373A"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#383838",
    "#62686A"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#FFFFFF"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#62686A",
    "#383838"
  ]
}

Knowledge graph

{
  "nearestColors": [
    "graphite",
    "jet",
    "gunmetal",
    "peat",
    "charcoal-blue"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "onyx"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "aubergine-vs-onyx",
    "graphite-vs-onyx",
    "jet-vs-onyx"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/dark"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/onyx",
    "/wcag/onyx",
    "/css/colors/onyx",
    "/hex/353839"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/dark"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/onyx"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/graphite",
      "/colors/jet",
      "/colors/gunmetal",
      "/colors/peat",
      "/colors/charcoal-blue",
      "/compare/aubergine-vs-onyx",
      "/compare/graphite-vs-onyx",
      "/compare/jet-vs-onyx",
      "/harmonies/onyx",
      "/wcag/onyx",
      "/css/colors/onyx",
      "/hex/353839"
    ]
  }
}

Full JSON dataset

{
  "slug": "onyx",
  "name": "Onyx",
  "hex": "#353839",
  "uses": [
    "backgrounds",
    "typography",
    "product surfaces"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "restraint",
      "clarity",
      "balance"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "interfaces",
      "architecture",
      "editorial design",
      "packaging"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "high-energy accent-only palettes"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [],
  "sourceType": "curated",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "reviewStatus": "manual",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/assets/colors.json",
  "origin": {
    "type": "common",
    "notes": "Curated common color reference used in design and editorial color systems."
  },
  "family": "gray",
  "temperature": "neutral",
  "tone": [
    "dark"
  ],
  "editorialNotes": "Curated internal color record with computed technical properties.",
  "tags": [
    "gray",
    "neutral",
    "dark",
    "backgrounds",
    "typography",
    "product-surfaces",
    "restraint",
    "clarity",
    "balance"
  ],
  "popularity": 84,
  "rgb": [
    53,
    56,
    57
  ],
  "hsl": [
    195,
    4,
    22
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    7,
    2,
    0,
    78
  ],
  "luminance": 0.0388,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 1.78,
    "white": 11.82
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#3A3736",
    "analogous": [
      "#363A39",
      "#36373A"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#3A3639",
      "#393A36"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#39363A",
      "#3A3736",
      "#373A36"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#3A3637",
      "#3A3936"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#62686A",
      "#353839",
      "#0A0A0B"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#62686A",
    "dark": "#0A0A0B",
    "saturated": "#2A3F47",
    "desaturated": "#383838",
    "pastel": "#787878",
    "neon": "#007399"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-onyx: #353839;",
    "utility": ".bg-onyx { background-color: #353839; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-onyx { color: #353839; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "graphite",
    "jet",
    "gunmetal",
    "peat",
    "charcoal-blue"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "onyx"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "aubergine-vs-onyx",
    "graphite-vs-onyx",
    "jet-vs-onyx"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/dark"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/onyx",
    "/wcag/onyx",
    "/css/colors/onyx",
    "/hex/353839"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/dark"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/onyx"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/graphite",
      "/colors/jet",
      "/colors/gunmetal",
      "/colors/peat",
      "/colors/charcoal-blue",
      "/compare/aubergine-vs-onyx",
      "/compare/graphite-vs-onyx",
      "/compare/jet-vs-onyx",
      "/harmonies/onyx",
      "/wcag/onyx",
      "/css/colors/onyx",
      "/hex/353839"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#3A3736",
      "#363A39",
      "#36373A"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#383838",
      "#62686A"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#FFFFFF"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#62686A",
      "#383838"
    ]
  }
}

Color meaning and use

About Onyx Color

Onyx sits in the gray family with neutral temperature and dark visual character. Onyx is a commonly used color name in design references, palettes, and editorial color systems.

Its common associations include restraint, clarity, and balance, which makes it relevant for interfaces and architecture. In design work, Onyx is most useful for backgrounds, typography, and product surfaces, especially when paired with white text for stronger contrast.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Onyx against black and white text.

Black text1.78:1AA Fail

White text11.82:1AA Pass

AA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5

AAA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5

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

Similar Colors

Graphite#383838

Jet#343434

Gunmetal#2A3439

Peat#3B2F2F

Charcoal Blue#263238

Color Harmonies

#3A3736#3A3736

#363A39#363A39

#36373A#36373A

#3A3639#3A3639

#393A36#393A36

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

Variants

#62686A#62686A

#0A0A0B#0A0A0B

#2A3F47#2A3F47

Graphite#383838

#787878#787878

#007399#007399

Pairings

White#FFFFFF

#3A3736#3A3736

#363A39#363A39

#36373A#36373A

Matte Black#1A1A1A

White Smoke#F5F5F5

Onyx

CSS Utilities

Machine-Readable Color Data (JSON)

About Onyx Color

Related Color Guides

WCAG Accessibility

Similar Colors

Color Harmonies

Variants

Pairings