Color Conversion
#001f3fMidnight Semaphore
About this color
Calm confidence with quiet authority
A very deep, cool navy with an ink-like density and a subtle teal undertone that reads almost black at small sizes. It evokes composed authority and the hush of late-night clarity.
Designer tip: Use Midnight Semaphore as a full-bleed hero or header background and introduce FFE0C0 as a 2–4px accent (borders, icons, or CTA outlines) to provide readable contrast without raising brightness; for body copy on this color, use pure white at 16–18px 500–700 for clear legibility.
Best use case: Corporate digital dashboards and enterprise SaaS header backgrounds where trust, legibility, and a premium, controlled atmosphere are required.
Psychology
Psychological traits and emotional associations
Effect
In spaces and interfaces this shade grounds composition and slows visual tempo, encouraging focus and deliberation. It reduces visual noise and makes lighter accents read as considered signals rather than chaotic highlights.
Emotional impact
A feeling of trust, restraint, and professional seriousness.
Meaning & symbolism
Cultural symbolism and significance
Cultural significance
In Western corporate contexts it reads as dependable and executive; in maritime cultures it references naval uniforms and seamanship; in East Asian palettes a deep blue can be associated with formality and refined taste, closer to indigo traditions.
Positive associations
Seen as a sign of professionalism and reliability in Western finance and maritime traditions (Western, British naval history).
Negative associations
In some contexts it can feel cold or distant, and in cultures that favor brighter, warmer ritual colors (certain South Asian contexts) it may seem too subdued or somber.
Design applications
How this color is used across different fields
Enterprise SaaS dashboard headers
Works as an anchoring band that reduces glare from data-dense areas and allows orange or peach call-to-action accents to stand out clearly.
High-end hospitality lobbies (paint/walls)
Used on feature walls it creates an intimate, club-like atmosphere that welcomes subdued lighting and brass or warm-wood furnishings.
Premium spirits packaging
As a label background it conveys age and seriousness, letting metallic foil and warm cream type pop for a luxurious effect.
Menswear outerwear (coats, blazers)
Functions as a near-neutral navy that reads formal without black’s severity, pairing well with tan and heather grays for refined layering.
Navigation bars and footers on corporate websites
Provides a stable frame that increases perceived reliability while allowing lighter interface elements to remain legible and prominent.
Design guidance
Practical tips for using this color effectively in your designs
Do this
- + Use it as an anchoring background or frame and reserve lighter accents (like FFE0C0) for hierarchy signals.
- + Pair with a warm, desaturated complementary accent for CTAs to preserve subtlety while boosting attention.
- + Test text contrast at real sizes—use white or very pale neutrals for body copy and mid-weight bold for headings to ensure readability.
Avoid this
- - Don’t use it as the sole color for detailed small UI elements without lighter outlines; details vanish against its depth.
- - Don’t pair it with saturated neon greens or yellows that create harsh, jarring contrast.
- - Don’t rely on it alone to convey warmth—avoid expecting it to read as inviting without warmer materials or accents.
Fundamentals: Treat it as an anchor: always balance with at least one contrasting lighter value and one warm accent to communicate hierarchy and prevent visual fatigue.
Overuse risk: If Midnight Semaphore dominates a layout it can feel oppressive and reduce perceived approachability; visual hierarchy flattens and small details lose legibility. To avoid this, introduce measured warm accents, textures, or lighter neutrals.
Brand fit
Industries and brand archetypes that align with this color
Trust level
high
Seriousness
serious
Trend
Color pairing
Colors that complement and enhance this shade
#FFE0C0
Complementary — a warm peach that lifts CTAs and microcopy against the deep navy while preserving a refined palette.
#00475A
Analogous — a slightly greener-teal dark that provides layered depth for panels and subtle tonal variation without breaking the cool harmony.
#FF6F61
Split-complementary/Accent — a muted coral for energetic highlights that reads modern and readable against the navy.
Typography hints: For UI and headings use a geometric or humanist sans (e.g., Montserrat or Source Sans Pro) at 600–700 for headings and 400–600 for body; for premium print labeling, a sturdy transitional serif (e.g., Merriweather 700) in cream on this navy reads authoritative. Keep body sizes at or above 14–16px and favor high-contrast whites or warm peaches for emphasis.
Historical significance
The story and heritage of this color
Deep, near-black navies like Midnight Semaphore trace back to natural indigo dyes used across Asia and Africa for centuries; later, European artists and dyers developed deeper blues via woad, indigo vats and, from the early 18th century, Prussian blue — an intense synthetic pigment discovered in Berlin that made deep cool blues more widely available.
Through the 18th–20th centuries darker blues became associated with naval uniforms, formal wear, and institutional identity; artists used them for nocturnes and shadow passages (e.g., Whistler’s night pieces), while architects and tailors favored the shade for its seriousness and ability to read as almost-black without the flatness of true black.
In contemporary design the shade resurfaces in tech and premium branding where it balances modern minimalism and classic authority; it’s commonly used in UI hero panels, boutique hospitality, and high-end packaging as a stable, legible alternative to black that still supports rich metallic and warm accents.
Variations
The purpose of this section is to accurately produce tints (pure white added) and shades (pure black added) of your selected color in 10% increments.
Pro Tip: Use shades for hover states and shadows, tints for highlights and backgrounds.
Shades
Darker variations created by adding black to your base color.
Tints
Lighter variations created by adding white to your base color.
Common Use Cases
- • UI component states (hover, active, disabled)
- • Creating depth with shadows and highlights
- • Building consistent color systems
Design System Tip
These variations form the foundation of a cohesive color palette. Export them to maintain consistency across your entire project.
Color Combinations
Each harmony has its own mood. Use harmonies to brainstorm color combos that work well together.
How to Use
Click on any color to copy its hex value. These combinations are mathematically proven to create visual harmony.
Why It Matters
Color harmonies create balance and evoke specific emotions in your designs.
Complement
A color and its opposite on the color wheel, +180 degrees of hue. High contrast.
Split-complementary
A color and two adjacent to its complement, +/-30 degrees of hue from the value opposite the main color. Bold like a straight complement, but more versatile.
Triadic
Three colors spaced evenly along the color wheel, each 120 degrees of hue apart. Best to allow one color to dominate and use the others as accents.
Analogous
Three colors of the same luminance and saturation with hues that are adjacent on the color wheel, 30 degrees apart. Smooth transitions.
Monochromatic
Three colors of the same hue with luminance values +/-50%. Subtle and refined.
Tetradic
Two sets of complementary colors, separated by 60 degrees of hue.
Color Theory Principles
Balance
Use one dominant color, support with secondary, and accent sparingly.
Contrast
Ensure sufficient contrast for readability and accessibility.
Harmony
Colors should work together to create a unified visual experience.
Color Contrast Checker
Test color combinations to ensure they meet WCAG accessibility standards for text readability.
Text Color
Background Color
Contrast
WCAG Standards
Advanced Contrast Checker
Fine-tune with sliders, multiple previews & more
Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid.
Technical Formats
Practical Formats
Color Analysis
Blindness Simulator
Creative Aspects
Frequently asked questions
- What color is #001F3F?
- #001F3F is Midnight Semaphore – A very deep, cool navy with an ink-like density and a subtle teal undertone that reads almost black at small sizes. It evokes composed authority and the hush of late-night clarity.
- What does Midnight Semaphore symbolize?
- authority and trust, professionalism and restraint, depth and secrecy, maritime heritage, nighttime clarity. In Western corporate contexts it reads as dependable and executive; in maritime cultures it references naval uniforms and seamanship; in East Asian palettes a deep blue can be associated with formality and refined taste, closer to indigo traditions.
- Where is Midnight Semaphore used in design?
- In spaces and interfaces this shade grounds composition and slows visual tempo, encouraging focus and deliberation. It reduces visual noise and makes lighter accents read as considered signals rather than chaotic highlights.