Showa era
Ivory Buff & Dusky Green
Plate 94 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Ivory Buff, Dusky Green.
#004f46
blue · 8 palettes
Dusky Green
About Dusky Green
Dusky Green is a deep, vivid blue tone. Its hex value is #004f46 — that is
RGB 0, 79, 70, or HSL 173°, 100%, 15%.
It holds 9.5:1 contrast against white, so Dusky Green works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 9.5:1; on black 2.2:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Dusky Green appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with Ivory Buff, Jasper Red and Chromium Green.
Colours that go with Dusky Green
From a standard colour wheel, Dusky Green anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#004f46 #4F0009
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#004f46 #004F1F #00304F
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#004f46 #46004F #4F4600
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#004f46 #4F0030 #4F1F00
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Dusky Green
Dusky Green is a deep, vivid tone (HSL 173°, 100%, 15%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (9.5:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#4F0009) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#004F1F and #00304F) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Dusky Green off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
ColorChecker Passport Photo 2
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 36
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
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Palettes with Dusky Green
Dusky Green appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Dusky Green
- What is the hex code for Dusky Green?
- Dusky Green is #004f46. It appears in 8 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Dusky Green look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Dusky Green (#004f46) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 9.52:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 2.21:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Dusky Green come from?
- Dusky Green is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued blue pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Dusky Green in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#004f46) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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