# Midnight ink — palette recipe

## The idea

- A deep blue-black night lit by one warm amber lamp, for screens people use in the evening or want to feel premium and focused.
- Mood: luxurious, serious, cool

## Use it for

- Media and streaming interfaces
- Developer and creative tools
- Evening and night-time apps

## Avoid it when

- Pages are long reading for daytime use
- The audience includes many older readers on dim screens

## Colours

- Midnight (background): #12141c
- Ink well (surface): #1c1f2b
- Moonlit paper (text): #e9e6de
- Starlight grey (muted): #a4a8b6
- Lamp amber (accent): #f2b84b
- Night edge (border): #30344a

## Accessible pairs

- Midnight on Moonlit paper — 14.7:1 (AA)
- Moonlit paper on Midnight — 14.7:1 (AA)
- Ink well on Moonlit paper — 13.2:1 (AA)
- Moonlit paper on Ink well — 13.2:1 (AA)
- Lamp amber on Midnight — 10.3:1 (AA)
- Midnight on Lamp amber — 10.3:1 (AA)
- Moonlit paper on Night edge — 9.8:1 (AA)
- Night edge on Moonlit paper — 9.8:1 (AA)
- Ink well on Lamp amber — 9.2:1 (AA)
- Lamp amber on Ink well — 9.2:1 (AA)
- Midnight on Starlight grey — 7.8:1 (AA)
- Starlight grey on Midnight — 7.8:1 (AA)
- Ink well on Starlight grey — 6.9:1 (AA)
- Starlight grey on Ink well — 6.9:1 (AA)
- Lamp amber on Night edge — 6.8:1 (AA)
- Night edge on Lamp amber — 6.8:1 (AA)
- Night edge on Starlight grey — 5.2:1 (AA)
- Starlight grey on Night edge — 5.2:1 (AA)

## Principles

- Midnight covers about 70% of the screen and ink well about 20%, for panels and cards
- Use moonlit paper, never pure white, for text to avoid glare
- Lamp amber goes on the single main action and on active states, under 5% of the screen
- Starlight grey for timestamps, labels and secondary details
- Show depth with lighter surfaces and night edge lines, not shadows