#0C0C0CBlack Wash (#0C0C0C) is a near-black neutral with an OKLCH hue of 90°, lightness 0.15 and chroma 0. In practice it behaves as a grounding tone — suited to text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces.
| HEX | #0C0C0C |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(12, 12, 12) |
| HSL | hsl(0, 0%, 5%) |
| HSV | hsv(0, 0%, 5%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 95%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(3.3 0 0) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.154 0.000 90) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Black Wash is virtually unchanged; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.5), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#0d0b0a — ΔE 0.5, is virtually unchanged#0d0c0b — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchanged#0c0c0c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#0c0c0c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchangedTest Black Wash in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.
Against white it measures 19.56:1 and against black 1.07:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid black text on this color entirely.
One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.
#9a9a9a · #757575 · #525252 · #313131 · #0c0c0c · #010101
The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.
#326151 · #295037 · #253e1c · #222c00 · #1c1a00 · #0c0c0c
The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.
#839780 · #817249 · #3d6139 · #493a0d · #182716 · #0c0c0c
One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.
#c9c2b0 · #a99f86 · #887e63 · #495784 · #292518 · #0c0c0c
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eff2f9 · #bbb7ad · #7f8186 · #524e43 · #1e2026 · #0c0c0c
This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.
#f2f2f2 · #c9c9c9 · #9c9c9c · #3f3f3f · #0c0c0c · #e7c04d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#edf2ff · #a8b7df · #6f7fae · #404c71 · #271f09 · #0c0c0c
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#edf2ff · #95bedb · #8777a7 · #2a526d · #231c30 · #0c0c0c
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e1f6fa · #8ac3cd · #9b7196 · #62415f · #05252a · #0c0c0c
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e3f7f2 · #8dc5b9 · #6f7fae · #6a3f4d · #191f32 · #0c0c0c
#353535 · #5d5d5d · #868686 · #aeaeae · #d7d7d7
#0a0a0a · #080808 · #060606 · #040404 · #020202
As a deep tone it works for grounding elements — text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces — rather than open fields.