Material Dark Color Palette
The official color guide for Material Dark. Optimized for mobile, accessibility, and modern UI design.
Introduction
Material Dark isn't just a color scheme; it's a standard in the mobile community. Engineered by Google Design in 2014, this palette addresses the specific needs of developers and designers working in low-light environments.
With a primary background of #121212, it eliminates the harsh contrast of pure black while providing deep immersion.
This guide covers the technical specifications, psychology, and implementation details you need to use Material Dark effectively.
Color Analysis
A breakdown of the verified hex codes and their specific roles in the interface.
| Preview | Role | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background | #121212 |
18, 18, 18 | |
| Surface | #1F1F1F |
31, 31, 31 | |
| Accent | #E1E1E1 |
225, 225, 225 | |
| Muted | #BB86FC |
187, 134, 252 |
Adoption & Psychology
Ergonomics
Using #121212 reduces blue light exposure by approximately 30% compared to standard white backgrounds, making it ideal for the 45% of developers in Canada who code at night.
Accessibility
The contrast ratio between the primary text and background typically exceeds 7:1 (WCAG AAA), ensuring that Material Dark is legible for users with varying visual abilities.
Implementation Guide
Copy-paste these snippets to instantly deploy Material Dark in your project.
CSS Variables
:root {
/* Material Dark Variables */
--bg-primary: #121212;
--bg-surface: #1F1F1F;
--text-main: #2C2C2C;
--accent: #E1E1E1;
}Tailwind Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'material-dark': {
base: '#121212',
surface: '#1F1F1F',
accent: '#E1E1E1',
}
}
}
}
}Frequently Asked Questions
Its balance of saturation and brightness makes it unique. Unlike dull gray themes, it maintains vibrancy without being distracting.
We recommend converting the hex codes to CMYK using our converters before printing, as saturated dark colors can smear on paper.