The Better #000000
Pure black can quickly appear hard or lifeless – especially on bright screens or in fine designs.
The Better #000000 provides you with 104 very dark colors that are suitable as a softer alternative to #000000. You can filter them by color direction – such as greenish, purple, reddish or neutral – and thus set targeted nuances that give your design more depth and character.
Additional information about The Better #000000
Why we built this tool
Pure black may seem like the obvious choice, but in digital design it often feels too harsh or lifeless. Especially on bright screens or in refined layouts, #000000 can create contrast that feels heavy and unbalanced.
In our own projects, we rarely use pure black. Instead, we often rely on very dark colors with a subtle tint. Slightly warm, cool, or neutral tones that still read as black, but feel more natural and refined. These small nuances can significantly improve the overall look and feel of an interface.
The Better #000000 was created to make these alternatives easily accessible. We wanted a curated collection of very dark colors that work as better substitutes for pure black, without endless tweaking or trial and error.
Why this tool is useful and practical
Dark colors play a crucial role in interfaces, typography, and layouts. Especially for text, icons, and fine details, the exact shade of black can have a noticeable impact. Minor shifts in hue or saturation can improve readability and add visual depth.
The Better #000000 helps designers make more deliberate choices. Instead of defaulting to #000000, you get access to 104 very dark colors that behave more gently on screen. The ability to filter by color direction makes it easy to find neutral, slightly reddish, greenish, or violet-tinted blacks.
The tool is intentionally simple. No distractions, no scoring, no rules. It is about making better decisions faster and using dark colors with more sensitivity.
How the tool works
The Better #000000 presents a curated palette of 104 very dark colors. Each color sits close to black but differs subtly in hue and character. Filters allow you to narrow down the selection by color direction, such as neutral, warm, or cool tones.
You can select any color and copy its value directly for use in design files or code. The tool is designed as a visual reference, encouraging comparison and helping you develop a better sense for dark color nuances.
The Better #000000 is not a generator, but a source of inspiration. A small tool that highlights how much impact subtle color differences can have.
Further tools
We like small and practical tools. That’s why we naturally have several of them. Here is a selection of our favorites.
