#242A2ECinder (#242A2E) is a near-black neutral with an OKLCH hue of 237°, lightness 0.28 and chroma 0.011. In practice it behaves as a grounding tone — suited to text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces.
| HEX | #242A2E |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(36, 42, 46) |
| HSL | hsl(204, 12%, 16%) |
| HSV | hsv(204, 22%, 18%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(22%, 9%, 0%, 82%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(16.6 -1.6 -3.5) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.281 0.011 237) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Cinder is virtually unchanged; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.8), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#27292a — ΔE 0.8, is virtually unchanged#262a2d — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchanged#242a2e — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#242a2f — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Cinder 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 14.53:1 and against black 1.45:1, 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.
#999ea1 · #73787c · #505559 · #242a2e · #11171a · #010203
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.
#2c635f · #0d5258 · #003f4f · #242a2e · #011b39 · #050a26
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.
#b6b4d1 · #759fb9 · #7973a5 · #39637d · #423f56 · #242a2e
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.
#d2a17e · #4f6776 · #3a4750 · #242a2e · #00121f · #000205
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f8f0eb · #aab4bb · #7a7572 · #374248 · #242a2e · #18130f
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.
#eff2f4 · #c8cbcd · #9ca0a3 · #242a2e · #060a0c · #f19242
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#feeee4 · #d0a98d · #986b4a · #59371c · #242a2e · #021623
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#feeee4 · #d6a49e · #8a7440 · #5d322d · #242a2e · #1b1301
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffecf2 · #d3a3b3 · #737c48 · #3e441a · #242a2e · #210c14
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#faedfa · #c7a5c6 · #986b4a · #27492c · #242a2e · #200f03
#42474B · #62676B · #84888C · #A8ABAE · #CDD0D2
#1E2427 · #191E21 · #14181B · #0E1215 · #090D0F
As a deep tone it works for grounding elements — text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces — rather than open fields. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.