# Deep forest — palette recipe

## The idea

- A dark pine canopy with pale mint light breaking through, for a dark theme that feels natural and restful rather than technical.
- Mood: calm, cool, serious

## Use it for

- Outdoor and travel brands
- Climate and nature organisations
- Dark modes for calm apps

## Avoid it when

- The brand is bright and cheerful
- Pages are printed or read in strong daylight

## Colours

- Pine shade (background): #0f1f19
- Moss floor (surface): #17302a
- Birch (text): #e8efe5
- Fern grey (muted): #a2b8ab
- Mint light (accent): #7fd1a0
- Bark line (border): #2b4a3f

## Accessible pairs

- Birch on Pine shade — 14.6:1 (AA)
- Pine shade on Birch — 14.6:1 (AA)
- Birch on Moss floor — 12.0:1 (AA)
- Moss floor on Birch — 12.0:1 (AA)
- Mint light on Pine shade — 9.4:1 (AA)
- Pine shade on Mint light — 9.4:1 (AA)
- Bark line on Birch — 8.3:1 (AA)
- Birch on Bark line — 8.3:1 (AA)
- Fern grey on Pine shade — 8.1:1 (AA)
- Pine shade on Fern grey — 8.1:1 (AA)
- Mint light on Moss floor — 7.7:1 (AA)
- Moss floor on Mint light — 7.7:1 (AA)
- Fern grey on Moss floor — 6.7:1 (AA)
- Moss floor on Fern grey — 6.7:1 (AA)
- Bark line on Mint light — 5.4:1 (AA)
- Mint light on Bark line — 5.4:1 (AA)
- Bark line on Fern grey — 4.6:1 (AA)
- Fern grey on Bark line — 4.6:1 (AA)

## Principles

- Pine shade fills about 70% of the screen and moss floor about 20%, for cards
- Birch for all reading text, fern grey for secondary details
- Mint light marks buttons, links and progress, around 5%, with pine shade text on buttons
- Never use mint light for long passages of text; it glows
- Separate panels with bark line borders rather than shadows