18 Opposites of Black

John Spacey, February 14, 2021

Black is the color that's perceived where there is an absence of light. As a property of materials, this means that all wavelengths of light are absorbed. The opposite of black is white, as white is what humans perceive when confronted with all wavelengths of light at the same time. This is analogous to the argument that the opposite of nothing is everything. As a material property, white things reflect all wavelengths of light. In practice, most colors perceived as black reflect some light such that they are tinged with color. The following are examples of complements for black colors.

Black
#000000

White
#ffffff

Alien Black
#1a2228

Pastel Beige
#e5ddd7

Black Bean
#4e4b4a

Steel Grey
#b1b4b5

Charcoal
#36454f

Raw Sugar
#c9bab0

Blackened Brown
#442200

Baby Blue
#bbddff

Gothic Grape
#120321

Pastel Melon
#edfcde

Raisin
#524144

Deco Gray
#adbebb

Midnight Grey
#080808

Lynx White
#f7f7f7

Dark Rosewood
#3c0006

Crushed Ice
#c3fff9

Very Dark Brown
#140100

Skylight
#ebfeff

Very Dark Purple
#0f0012

Imperial Mint
#f0ffed

Volcanic Sand
#404048

Cement Grey
#bfbfb7

Young Night
#232323

Gainsboro
#dcdcdc

Warm Black
#000d0d

Light Cherry Blossom
#fff2f2

Very Dark Green
#031701

Strawberry Yogurt
#fce8fe

Very Dark Blue
#000023

Vanilla Yellow
#ffffdc

Jet Black
#2d2c2f

True Grey
#d2d3d0

Licorice
#1a1110

Cloud Grey
#e5eeef

Notes

Black is a color because it is perceived as a color. Color is a feature of human and animal perception and not a property of the universe. That is to say that there are large differences between color and the underlying wavelengths of light. For example, white is actually a rainbow of different wavelengths of light that maps to a single color in the mind.

Sunlight is white. The conversion of all colors to a single color is an adaptation that makes the world more comprehensible. If we were constantly flooded with rainbow colors, sight might be too complex.

Of all complementary colors, white and black have the highest contrast. Both white and black are also perceived as neutral and calming. This is the reason that books are published with black text and a white background as this maximizes contrast and feels comfortable. Another set of complements, such as blue and yellow would be hard on the eyes. In design, a black background and white text also works quite well. This isn't as popular for physical publishing as it may require more ink or dye.