The color black: meaning and palettes to use it
First, the question everyone asks: is black a color? It depends on who you ask. Here's the short answer, what black conveys and how to use it without making your design look like a funeral.
Click a color to copy its code.
What the color black means
Is it a color? In the physics of light, no: black is the absence of light. In paint and print, yes: it's a pigment, and CMYK even gives it its own ink (the K). In design we treat it as a color in every sense.
It's linked to elegance, authority, mystery and luxury. Also to mourning, death and the forbidden. It's the most serious color on the palette and the one that makes every other color shine.
What black says about a brand
It's the color of luxury, fashion and premium. A black box with white lettering looks expensive even when it isn't. In food, black usually reads as gourmet.
On screen, pure black (#000000) is harder on the eyes than a near-black. For backgrounds and text, #111111 or a very dark gray looks more natural.
Not every shade of black says the same thing
Pure black
Maximum contrast. Use sparingly on screen.
Near black
The practical black for digital text and backgrounds.
Charcoal
Softer, with a hint of texture.
Blue-black
Modern and techy. A favorite in interfaces.
Palettes with black to copy
Each swatch shows the contrast of the text that reads best on top of it. From 4.5:1 it works for body text.
Quiet luxury
Fashion, cosmetics, jewelry
Editorial
Magazines, portfolios, presentations
Night
Music, events, gaming
What goes with black
- Goes well with
- White, gold, and any bold color as an accent (red, yellow, fuchsia).
- Use with care
- Navy blue and dark brown on the same plane: they blur into the black.
Black around the world
In Spain and Mexico, as in much of the West, black is the traditional color of mourning, though people wear it for less and less time. On Mexico's Day of the Dead, by contrast, black sits next to very bright colors: death is remembered with a party.
In fashion, black went from mourning to elegance in the 20th century, with the little black dress as a wardrobe staple.
Design with this palette, for free
Copy the codes and take them to Polimake's design canvas: social posts, covers and thumbnails with your own photos, no subscription needed.
Frequently asked questions
- Is black a color?
- Not in the physics of light, since it is the absence of light. In painting, printing and design it is treated as a color: it is a pigment and has its own ink in CMYK.
- Which black should I use on a website?
- A near-black like #111111 or a blue-black like #0F172A is easier on the eyes than pure black for long text.