Shades of black

Blacks are colors that differ only slightly from pure black. These colors have low brightness. From a lighting perspective, a color that is slightly different from black always has a low relative luminance. Variations of black include what are commonly known as off-white colors which can be seen as part of a neutral color palette, usually in home decor as part of a backdrop to more vibrant colours. Black and dark gray are bold colors that suggest weight, dignity, formality and solemnity. In color theory, a hue is a pure color mixed with black. It reduces its brightness almost preserving its chromaticity. Strictly speaking, a “shade of black” itself is always pure black, and an “int of black” would be a neutral gray. Unlike these, many off-white colors have a hue and hue (also known as saturation). Colors often referred to as “black” include onyx, black olive, charcoal, and jet; These colors and other variations of black are shown below.