Rich Black (FOGRA39)

HEX: #010203 | Modern Palette

On White
20.77:1
PASS
On Black
1.01:1
FAIL

Color Specifications

HEX
#010203
RGB
1, 2, 3
HSL
210°, 66% ,1%
CMYK
66.67, 33.33, 0, 98.82

About Rich Black (FOGRA39)

Rich Black (FOGRA39) (#010203) is a color with RGB(1, 2, 3) and HSL(210°, 66.67%, 1.18%). It is commonly associated with Bold, Luxury moods. In design, it fits Cool styles and is suitable for Text, Button, Background. Its complementary color is #030201, which creates strong contrast. Its triadic palette includes #030102 and #020301. The name comes from Rich Black (FOGRA39) (English).

  • HEX: #010203
  • RGB: 1, 2, 3
  • HSL: 210°, 66.67%, 1.18%
  • Mood: Bold, Luxury
  • Style: Cool
  • Use case: Text, Button, Background
  • Complementary color: #030201
  • Triadic colors: #030102, #020301
  • The name comes from Rich Black (FOGRA39) (English).

Live Components

LIGHT
DARK
System Notification Box

Color Palettes

Monochromatic Five tones of the same hue — a reliable scale for backgrounds, surfaces, and text.
Neutral + Accent Four near-neutral tones grounded by a saturated accent — clean and versatile for UI.
Analogous Five hues drifting across a 60° arc — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
3 + 1 + 1 Three analogous base colors, one complementary accent, one dark anchor — bold yet balanced.

Color Harmonies

Complementary

The color directly opposite on the color wheel — creates maximum contrast and vibrance.

Analogous

Colors adjacent on the wheel — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

Triadic

Three colors equally spaced 120° apart — bold, balanced, and visually rich.

Split-Complementary

Two colors flanking the complement — high contrast with less tension than full complementary.

Tetradic (Square)

Four colors at 90° intervals — rich variety, best when one color dominates.

Monochromatic

Shades and tints of the same hue — cohesive, elegant, and easy to work with.

Shades & Tints

A seamless scale of #010203 from deepest shade to lightest tint.

Color Characteristics

Mood
Bold Luxury
Style
Cool
Use case
Text Button Background

Accessibility Simulation

Deuteranopia #020203
Protanopia #020203
Tritanopia #010202
Achromatopsia #020202

Frequently Asked Questions

Rich Black (FOGRA39) (#010203) is a color with RGB(1, 2, 3) and HSL(210°, 66.67%, 1.18%).

#010203 pairs strongly with #030201 as its complementary color. It can also be used with neutral tones for balanced UI and design layouts.

#010203 is suitable for Text, Button, Background and works well with Cool styles.

#010203 is commonly associated with Bold, Luxury.

The name Rich Black (FOGRA39) is linked to Rich Black (FOGRA39) from English, meaning A specific formulation of black ink designed to achieve a deeper, richer black appearance than 100% black (K) ink alone, often used in printing. FOGRA39 refers to a specific international standard for offset printing conditions, indicating that this 'Ric….

Name, History & Etymology

Origin Word Rich Black (FOGRA39)
Meaning A specific formulation of black ink designed to achieve a deeper, richer black appearance than 100% black (K) ink alone, often used in printing. FOGRA39 refers to a specific international standard for offset printing conditions, indicating that this 'Ric…
Language English
First Recorded Use Late 20th Century - Early 21st Century

History

In CMYK printing, 100% black (K) ink can sometimes appear as a dark grey rather than a true, deep black, especially on certain paper stocks or under specific lighting. To overcome this, printers and designers developed 'rich black' formulations by adding small percentages of cyan (C), magenta (M), and/or yellow (Y) inks to the 100% black. This overprinting creates a denser, more saturated black. Various 'rich black' recipes exist, each with slightly different characteristics. FOGRA39 is a widely adopted international standard for offset printing, particularly in Europe. It defines specific color profiles and printing conditions. Within the FOGRA39 standard, a recommended rich black formulation is often used to ensure consistency and optimal results across different presses and locations. The hexadecimal color #010203 is an extremely dark, almost black color, which could be a digital representation of a very deep black, though specific CMYK values would be needed to define a true 'Rich Black (FOGRA39)' in a print context.

First Recorded Use

The concept of 'rich black' emerged with the widespread adoption of CMYK printing and the desire to achieve a more impactful black. The specific FOGRA39 standard was developed and published by FOGRA (German Research Institute for Media Technologies) in the early 2000s, making 'Rich Black (FOGRA39)' a term that gained prominence around that time.

Cultural Associations

In graphic design and print production, the choice of rich black is a critical decision. Designers often specify 'rich black' to ensure headlines, large areas of black, or important text have maximum impact. Misuse or incorrect rich black formulations can lead to issues like ink build-up, slow drying times, or color shifts (e.g., a 'cold' black if too much cyan is added, or a 'warm' black if too much magenta/yellow is added). The FOGRA standards, including FOGRA39, play a significant role in standardizing print production and ensuring color accuracy globally.

Similar Named Colors
Others #-0 ΔE 0.58
Black #000000 ΔE 0.58
Onyx #0F0F0F ΔE 2.28
Smoky Black #100C08 ΔE 3.20

Code Snippets

/* Background */
.element {
    background-color: #010203;
}

/* Text */
.element {
    color: #010203;
}

/* Border */
.element {
    border: 1px solid #010203;
}

/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
    background: linear-gradient(
        to right,
        #010203,
        #050301
    );
}

/* Radial gradient */
.element {
    background: radial-gradient(
        circle,
        #010203,
        #050301
    );
}

// SCSS variable
$rich-black-(fogra39): #010203;

// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$rich-black-(fogra39)-r: 1;
$rich-black-(fogra39)-g: 2;
$rich-black-(fogra39)-b: 3;

// Usage
.element {
    background-color: $rich-black-(fogra39);
    color: rgba($rich-black-(fogra39)-r, $rich-black-(fogra39)-g, $rich-black-(fogra39)-b, 0.8);
}