#1E231CUnderworld (#1E231C) is a near-black neutral with an OKLCH hue of 137°, lightness 0.25 and chroma 0.015. In practice it behaves as a grounding tone — suited to text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces.
| HEX | #1E231C |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(30, 35, 28) |
| HSL | hsl(103, 11%, 12%) |
| HSV | hsv(103, 20%, 14%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(14%, 0%, 20%, 86%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(13 -4 3.9) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.249 0.015 137) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Underworld shifts subtly: takes on a yellow-green cast; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.6), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#202219 — ΔE 0.6, shifts subtly: takes on a yellow-green cast#20231b — ΔE 0.4, shifts subtly: takes on a yellow-green cast#1e231c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#1e231d — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Underworld 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 16:1 and against black 1.31:1, 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.
#9a9e99 · #757973 · #51564f · #30352e · #1e231c · #010200
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.
#477a87 · #2f6b6e · #1a5b54 · #0c4b39 · #093a1d · #1e231c
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.
#90b6b3 · #7e9873 · #337f7a · #445d39 · #21413e · #1e231c
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.
#b6c1b1 · #9b7aa7 · #51604b · #374034 · #1e231c · #020c00
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f5f0f7 · #aab1a8 · #726f74 · #333a31 · #1e231c · #0f0b10
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.
#f0f3ef · #c7cac6 · #9a9e99 · #1e231c · #030502 · #9bd880
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#f0f3ef · #c7cac6 · #9a9e99 · #1e231c · #030502 · #f4b84d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#f8edfc · #bea4c9 · #82638e · #452d4d · #1e231c · #051002
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#f8edfc · #abaad4 · #915e79 · #353257 · #1e231c · #180610
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#eaf3ff · #97b1d5 · #975e61 · #54292c · #1e231c · #030d1d
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e3f5fe · #86b7cc · #82638e · #522c19 · #1e231c · #130717
#3C413A · #5D625B · #80847F · #A5A9A4 · #CCCFCB
#1A1E18 · #151914 · #111510 · #0D100C · #090C08
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.