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Nature of Black: Black is the absence of color. In clothing, black is visually slimming. Black, like other dark colors, can make a room appear to shrink in size and even a well-lit room looks dark with a lot of black. Black can make other colors appear brighter.

Culture of Black: In most Western countries black is the color of mourning. Among young people, black is often seen as a color of rebellion. Black is both positive and negative. It is the color for little boys in China. Black, especially combined with orange is the color of Halloween. In early Westerns the good guy wore white while the bad guy wore black. But later on good guys wore black to lend an air of mystery to themselves.

Using Black: Use the color black to convey elegance, sophistication, or perhaps a touch of mystery. Dark charcoal gray and very dark brown can sometimes stand in for black.

Using Black with Other Colors: Be careful using black with very dark colors. It can work, but if the colors are too similiar they blend together. Black works well with bright, jewel-toned shades of red, blue, and green. Black is the ultimate dark color and makes lighter colors such as yellow really pop out. Photographs often look brighter against a black background. Black and gray is a conservative combo as is medium or light blue and black.

Black Color Palettes: These color palettes feature black with other colors.

Language of Black: The use of black in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their color of choice might be perceived by others, both the positive and negative aspects.

Good black

• Black tie - formal (as in formal party attire)
• Black belt - expert (especially in martial arts)
• Blackwash - bring things out in the open In the black - having money, doing well in business
• Men in black - government agents
• Black box - equipment or apparatus
• Pitch black - dark as night, very black

• Black out - Loss of consciouness or the act of erasing something
• Blackout - loss of electricity or turning out the lights
• Black eye - damage such as damage to one's reputation, slander, unpopular
• Black-hearted - evil
• Blackguard - a scoundrel
• Black sheep - an outcast from a family or from society
• Black market - illegal trade (goods or money)
• Blackmail - obtaining something by threat
• Blacklist - list of people or organizations to boycott, avoid, or punish

Ebony, jet, ink, lampblack, coal, soot, charcoal, raven, midnight, obsidian, onyx, sable.