Black and White

Neutral color combination with 21.00:1 contrast ratio

#000000

#FFFFFF

Color Values

Black

HEX #000000

RGB 0, 0, 0

HSL 0, 0%, 0%

White

HEX #FFFFFF

RGB 255, 255, 255

HSL 0, 0%, 100%

Harmony: Neutral

Both colors are achromatic, so this pairing works through lightness contrast alone. The combination reads as a tonal or monochromatic scheme — clean, restrained, and useful for backgrounds and typography.

The hue angle between Black and White is 0 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

21.00:1

Black background with White text

AAA all sizes

UI Preview

Black surface

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

White surface

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

Design Tokens

CSS Variables

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

JSON

{
  "name": "Black and White",
  "colors": [
    {
      "name": "Black",
      "hex": "#000000",
      "rgb": [
        0,
        0,
        0
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "White",
      "hex": "#FFFFFF",
      "rgb": [
        255,
        255,
        255
      ]
    }
  ],
  "harmony": "Neutral",
  "contrastRatio": 21
}

Related Combinations

Explore These Colors

Black

White

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Do black and white go together?

Yes. Black and White form a neutral color combination. Both colors are achromatic, so this pairing works through lightness contrast alone. The combination reads as a tonal or monochromatic scheme — clean, restrained, and useful for backgrounds and typography. The pairing has a WCAG contrast ratio of 21.00:1, which passes AA for large text and UI components.

What is the contrast ratio between black and white?

The WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio between Black (#000000) and White (#FFFFFF) is 21.00:1. This passes AAA for all text sizes.

How do I use black and white 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 white?

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