Black Russian
General Information about Black Russian
The hex color #180221, also known as Black Russian, is a very dark, muted shade of purple. It belongs to the broader category of dark purples and has a relatively low saturation and high darkness. In the RGB color model, it is composed of 9.41% red, 0.78% green, and 12.94% blue. This color is often associated with sophistication, mystery, and elegance. Due to its dark nature, it is frequently used in designs where a subtle and understated aesthetic is desired. It has a color hue of 250 degrees, a saturation of 90% and a lightness of 7%. In the HSV/HSB scale it therefore is dark purple.
The color #180221, also known as Black Russian, presents significant accessibility challenges due to its extremely dark nature. Its low luminance results in very poor contrast against white text, failing WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards for normal and large text. This makes it difficult for users with visual impairments to read content displayed with this color as a background or text color. To improve accessibility, it's crucial to pair #180221 with very light colors like white (#FFFFFF) or light yellow (#FFFFE0) to achieve sufficient contrast. Tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker can help ensure your color combinations meet accessibility standards. Avoid using #180221 for essential visual elements or large blocks of text without careful consideration of contrast ratios. Consider using it sparingly for decorative purposes only.
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Applications
Luxury Web Design
In web design, Black Russian (#180221) can be employed for creating a sophisticated and mysterious atmosphere, particularly in themes related to night, space, or luxury. It works best as a background color for hero sections or within website footers. Use it sparingly for text as it presents readability challenges. Accentuate it with lighter colors such as silver, gold, or off-white to ensure readability and visual balance. It could be a good fit for websites focused on premium products or services. It can also be incorporated in minimalistic designs to create a very calm mood.
Elegant Interior Accents
In interior design, Black Russian (#180221) can add a touch of elegance and drama to spaces. Consider using it as an accent wall color in a living room or bedroom, paired with lighter furniture and decor. It can also be used in smaller doses, such as for painting doors or trim. To prevent the space from feeling too dark or enclosed, be sure to incorporate plenty of natural light and reflective surfaces, and the color could be paired with green plants in order to give some life to the room.
Fashion Industry
In the fashion industry the hex color #180221 can be used as a base color for elegant dresses. With golden or silver applications a beautiful contrast is provided. This color also fits for elegant suits or other fashionable accesoires.