Color family
Black Colors: Names, HEX Codes & Values
The black family holds the darkest colors in the library: pure black (#000000) and near-black shades such as almost black. Pure black has no light at all, so no color is darker. Near-black colors keep a tiny amount of hue, which only shows when they sit next to pure black.
Black has the highest possible contrast with white (21:1) and works with almost every light color. Many designs use a very dark gray or near-black, such as #111111 or #1A1A1A, for text and backgrounds instead of #000000, because the softer edge is easier on the eyes for long reading.
Black colors at a glance
| Extreme | Color | HEX | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightest | Almost Black | #070D0D | hsl(180, 30%, 4%) |
| Darkest | Black | #000000 | hsl(0, 0%, 0%) |
| Most saturated | Almost Black | #070D0D | hsl(180, 30%, 4%) |
| Least saturated | Black | #000000 | hsl(0, 0%, 0%) |
Popular black colors
Using black colors
- Text on light backgrounds, which gives the maximum possible contrast.
- Dark mode backgrounds and headers, often with near-black rather than pure black.
- Shadows and overlays, using black with transparency.
- Logos, icons and single-color print designs.
In print, a 'rich black' mixes all four CMYK inks. The CMYK values on this site come from a simple conversion, so ask your printer which black they want.
If pure black next to white feels harsh on screen, try a near-black text color with an off-white background.