Black colour: characterisation, colour codes, shades and mixing

The colour black is often associated with elegance, strength and power. In dressing, black is a symbol of sophistication and timeless style. It is often chosen for formal events and business meetings because it conveys decisiveness and professionalism. Black also represents minimalism and simplicity, making it popular in modern design and interior decoration.

Psychologically, black can represent mystery and depth. While in some cultures it is a colour of mourning and loss, in others it symbolises recovery and new beginnings. Black can also often be a symbol of rebellious, rebellious behaviour, often used in pop culture and the arts.

Black colour RGB and HEX colour codes

The black colour is RGB code (0, 0, 0) and HEX code #000000.

Colour scheme	Code/Weights
Hex	#000000
RGB	rgb(0, 0, 0)
HSL	hsl(0, 0%, 0%)
HSV/HSB	hsv(0, 0%, 0%)
CMYK	cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 100%)
Contrasting colour	#FFFFFF
Complementary colour	#FFFFFF

Dark and light shades of black

Click on the colour codes below to copy them to the clipboard.

Dark shades

Light shades

Complementary colour palettes of black

The special thing about black is that it harmonises with almost all other colours. Here are some colour palettes that work with black to achieve different effects.

Complementary palette

Analogue palette

Monochrome palette

Triad palette

Tetrade palette

Split complementary palette

Neutral palette

What is the colour of black?

The colour black means a total absence or very low intensity of light. Optically, black is a colour that absorbs all wavelengths of colour and does not reflect light. Ideally, all black does not reflect any very bright or coloured light, which makes it appear as if the colour is completely absent.

What is the colour of black?

The colour of black depends on the material and surface that can absorb light at different wavelengths. A perfect black absorbs all wavelengths of light and does not reflect it, creating a dark effect. In reality, however, absorption is often incomplete and some light is reflected, which can affect the shade of black. In addition, the lighting conditions, the texture of the material and the viewer's eye angle can also affect the perception of black.

How is black colour mixing possible?

Achieving black colour by mixing depends on the different colour models. For pigments (e.g. paints), black colour is usually achieved by so-called additive colour mixing. This means that several different colours (for example red, blue and yellow) are mixed in equal proportions until a very dark shade or black is obtained. In the RGB (additive) colour model used in digital displays, black is created when red is mixed with red, Green and blue light are all zero intensity.