White text passes AAA
21:1

Black

#000000

Pure black #000000 has no light at all, giving the maximum contrast of 21:1 with white. Many designers use a near-black such as #111113 for text instead, because pure black on bright white can feel harsh on screens. Black pairs with every color on this site.

HEX#000000
RGBrgb(0, 0, 0)
HSLhsl(0, 0%, 0%)
OKLCHoklch(0% 0 0)
CMYKcmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 100%)
CMYK is an approximate screen conversion, not for print matching.

Lighter and darker

Ten steps toward white and ten toward black, with black in the middle. Click a step to copy its hex code.

LightestBlack #000000Darkest

Readability

White text on blackNormal text at 16px. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
21:1
  • Passes AA normal
  • Passes AA large
  • Passes AAA normal
  • Passes AAA large
Dark text on blackNormal text at 16px. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
1:1
  • Fails AA and AAA

Colors that go with black

#000000#000000

Complementary

The opposite on the color wheel
#000000#000000#000000

Analogous

Its two neighbors
#000000#000000#000000

Triadic

Three evenly spaced colors
#000000#000000#000000

Split-complementary

The two colors beside its opposite

Black color palettes

Monochrome

Lighter and darker versions of the same color.

Analogous

Neighbors on the color wheel, for a calm, related look.

Complementary

The color with its opposite, for strong contrast.

Triadic

Three colors evenly spaced around the wheel, with a light and dark version.

Similar colors

  • Coal Black#0C0C0C
  • Smoky Black#100C08
  • Raven Black#141414
  • Obsidian#0B1215
  • Rich Black#010B13
  • Midnight Black#171719
  • Eerie Black#1B1B1B
  • Licorice#1A1110
Shades of blackEvery named black shade with hex codes

Use black in a tool

Check text contrast with blackMix black with other colorsBuild an accessible palette from black

Questions about black

What is the hex code for black?

The hex code for black is #000000. In RGB it's rgb(0, 0, 0), and in HSL it's hsl(0, 0%, 0%).

What colors go with black?

Its complementary color is #000000. For a calmer look, try the analogous colors #000000 and #000000, or one of the palettes above, which all include black.

Is text readable on black?

White text is the better choice, with a contrast ratio of 21:1. That passes WCAG AA for normal text.