Black and Ivory

Tonal Accent color combination with 20.42:1 contrast ratio

#000000

#FFFFCB

Color Values

Black

HEX #000000

RGB 0, 0, 0

HSL 0, 0%, 0%

Ivory

HEX #FFFFCB

RGB 255, 255, 203

HSL 60, 100%, 90%

Harmony: Tonal Accent

One color is neutral and the other carries the chroma, which is a reliable formula for balanced design. The neutral gives the eye somewhere to rest while the chromatic color provides the focal point.

The hue angle between Black and Ivory is 60 degrees (though one or both colors are achromatic, so hue angle is less relevant than lightness contrast). You can explore these relationships interactively in our Color Wheel Tool.

WCAG Contrast

20.42:1

Black background with Ivory text

AAA all sizes

UI Preview

Black surface

Sample text on a black background demonstrates readability and visual hierarchy.

Ivory surface

Sample text on a ivory background demonstrates readability and visual hierarchy.

Design Tokens

CSS Variables

:root {
  --color-a: #000000;
  --color-b: #FFFFCB;
  --color-a-rgb: 0, 0, 0;
  --color-b-rgb: 255, 255, 203;
}

JSON

{
  "name": "Black and Ivory",
  "colors": [
    {
      "name": "Black",
      "hex": "#000000",
      "rgb": [
        0,
        0,
        0
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Ivory",
      "hex": "#FFFFCB",
      "rgb": [
        255,
        255,
        203
      ]
    }
  ],
  "harmony": "Tonal Accent",
  "contrastRatio": 20.42
}

Related Combinations

Explore These Colors

Black

Ivory

Color Wheel Tool →Contrast Checker →Random Palette Generator →Color Mixer →Gradient Generator →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do black and ivory go together?

Yes. Black and Ivory form a tonal accent color combination. One color is neutral and the other carries the chroma, which is a reliable formula for balanced design. The neutral gives the eye somewhere to rest while the chromatic color provides the focal point. The pairing has a WCAG contrast ratio of 20.42:1, which passes AA for large text and UI components.

What is the contrast ratio between black and ivory?

The WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio between Black (#000000) and Ivory (#FFFFCB) is 20.42:1. This passes AAA for all text sizes.

How do I use black and ivory in design?

A safe starting point is the 60/30/10 rule: give one color about 60 percent of the surface area, the other about 30 percent, and reserve the remaining 10 percent for an accent or neutral. If one color is significantly darker, use it for text or structural elements and the lighter one for backgrounds. Test the result with our Contrast Checker if text is involved.

What are the hex and RGB values for black and ivory?

Black has the hex code #000000 and RGB values rgb(0, 0, 0). Ivory has the hex code #FFFFCB and RGB values rgb(255, 255, 203). You can copy these directly into CSS or use the design tokens provided on this page.