# Color

Primarily black and white. Dark backgrounds preferred. Color used occasionally.

## Primary palette

Prefer Carbon or Black backgrounds with White text and marks. White and Stone provide light alternatives. Most pieces can stay entirely neutral; a piece can feel fully Hedra without an accent color.

- Use dark backgrounds as the starting point, choosing a light ground when the content calls for it.
- Use the exact values provided here. Avoid inventing near-matching shades.
- Use semantic roles for application UI; these palette primitives do not replace a product theme.

## Color proportions

Think approximately 95% neutrals, 3% Coral, 1.5% Indigo, and 0.5% Volt. The exact numbers describe a philosophy of restraint. They are not a formula to apply to every composition.

- A piece can use no color at all. Never add an accent to satisfy a percentage.
- Coral is the first occasional color; Indigo is rarer, and Volt is used very sparingly.
- Judge the overall impression: the work should read as black and white, with small moments of color.

## Accent colors

Use color very occasionally. When a spot of color adds something useful, Coral is the first color to reach for. Keep the overall composition neutral. Coral is an option, not an expected feature of every piece.

- An entirely black-and-white composition is a complete expression of the brand.
- Keep colored moments small and deliberate. Do not make a colored background the default.
- Indigo, Volt, and Taupe remain available as occasional background alternatives, never as text colors.
- Pair Indigo with a White mark; pair Coral, Volt, and Taupe with a Carbon mark.
- An approved logo pairing does not automatically make every text size accessible. Check text contrast independently.

## Color approach

Default to black and white, with a preference for dark backgrounds. Most pieces can stay entirely monochrome. Use small spots of color only occasionally; reach for Coral first when color helps. A colored background is not the default. Think in proportions: approximately 95% neutrals, 3% Coral, 1.5% Indigo, and 0.5% Volt. These describe a philosophy of restraint, not quotas for every piece.

These proportions describe the overall balance of the brand, not a quota for each piece. Think approximately 95% neutrals, 3% Coral, 1.5% Indigo, and 0.5% Volt. Many pieces can stay entirely monochrome. Do not add color just to use up a percentage.

## Exact palette

- Carbon: #141414 (`--color-carbon`). Preferred dark background; pair with White text and marks. Also used as ink on light grounds.
- Black: #0A0A0A (`--color-black`). Deep black background for monochrome layouts.
- White: #FFFFFF (`--color-white`). Text and marks on dark backgrounds; light background alternative.
- Stone: #F2F1ED (`--color-stone`). Neutral light background alternative.
- Coral: #FF6740 (`--color-coral`). First choice for an occasional spot of color. Optional; keep the overall composition neutral.
- Indigo: #5657FE (`--color-indigo`). Occasional background alternative; pair with a White mark; never use as text color.
- Volt: #E9FE14 (`--color-volt`). Occasional background alternative; pair with a Carbon mark; never use as text color.
- Taupe: #A79D91 (`--color-taupe`). Occasional background alternative; pair with a Carbon mark; never use as text color.
- Graphite: #333333 (`--color-graphite`). Supporting dark neutral.
- Grey 600: #525252 (`--color-grey-600`). Secondary text on light grounds.
- Grey 500: #8A8A8A (`--color-grey-500`). Supporting neutral; check contrast before using for text.
- Grey 400: #A8A6A0 (`--color-grey-400`). Supporting neutral; check contrast before using for text.
- Grey 200: #E4E2DE (`--color-grey-200`). Light rules and media wells.
- Stone Dark: #E4E2DB (`--color-stone-dark`). Supporting Stone surface.

## Approved logo pairings

- White mark on Carbon.
- White mark on Black.
- Carbon mark on White.
- Carbon mark on Coral.
- Carbon mark on Stone.
- White mark on Indigo.
- Carbon mark on Taupe.
- Carbon mark on Volt.

## Files

- [Exact tokens](/tokens.json)
- [Original assets](/assets.json)
- [Guidelines](/guidelines.md)