3.4 KiB
3.4 KiB
Apex Neon — Dark Theme Specification
Apex Neon is a high-contrast dark theme built for terminals, editors, and system UI. Color exists to signal state, not to decorate space.
1. Core Colors (DNA)
| Hex | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
#050505 |
Void Black | Absolute background. The canvas. |
#ff0044 |
Razor Red | Primary aggressor. Errors, focus, cursor, active borders. |
#00eaff |
Electric Cyan | Technical accent. Info, links, highlights. |
#ededed |
Stark White | Default readable text. |
Rule: if a UI element is not important, it does not glow.
2. UI Surfaces & Depth
| Hex | Name | Usage |
|---|---|---|
#050505 |
Void Deep | Main window backgrounds, terminal background. |
#141414 |
Dark Surface | Inputs, inactive tabs, widget backgrounds. |
#262626 |
Light Surface | Separators, scroll tracks, inactive borders. |
#404040 |
Stealth | Comments, ignored text, suppressed hints. |
#737373 |
Muted Text | Comments, subtitles, inactive labels. |
Rule: depth comes from contrast, not brightness.
3. Interaction States
| Hex | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
#ff0044 |
Cursor | Caret in terminals and inputs (Beam shape). |
#ff0044 |
Selection BG | “Target locked” selection state. |
#050505 |
Selection FG | Hard rule: text turns black on red. |
#ff0044 |
Active Border | Focused window/element edge. |
4. Functional Semantics
| Meaning | Hex |
|---|---|
| Success / OK | #00ff99 |
| Warning / Load | #ffb700 |
| Error / Critical | #ff0044 |
| Special / Root | #9d00ff |
| Info / Link | #00eaff |
5. Terminal ANSI Table (16-Color Engine)
Bright colors represent escalation, not decoration.
Normal Bank (0–7)
| Slot | Name | Hex | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| color0 | Black | #050505 |
Background |
| color1 | Red | #ff0044 |
The Predator (Cursor/Path/Self) |
| color2 | Green | #00ff99 |
Success |
| color3 | Yellow | #ffb700 |
Warning |
| color4 | Blue | #00eaff |
Info / links |
| color5 | Magenta | #9d00ff |
Special / root |
| color6 | Cyan | #00eaff |
Info (mapped) |
| color7 | White | #ededed |
Default text |
Bright Bank (8–15)
| Slot | Name | Hex | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| color8 | BrBlack | #737373 |
Muted text / suggestions |
| color9 | BrRed | #ff8899 |
Alerts (Distinguishable from Cursor) |
| color10 | BrGreen | #2bffb2 |
Active success / completion |
| color11 | BrYellow | #ffd24d |
Urgent warning |
| color12 | BrBlue | #5af3ff |
Active info / focus highlight |
| color13 | BrMagenta | #c84dff |
Elevated special state |
| color14 | BrCyan | #5af3ff |
Active tech signal |
| color15 | BrWhite | #ffffff |
Extreme highlight only |
6. Usage Guidelines
- Red is the Agent. It marks where the user is (Prompt/Path) and what the user controls (Cursor/Selection).
- Distinguish the Threat. Since the Prompt is now Red, actual Errors must use Bright Red (
#ff8899) or explicit symbols to distinguish them from the environment. - Cyan is informational. Never use it for errors or destructive actions.
- Purple is sacred. Only for special modes, root, or exceptional states.
- Bright = escalation. If nothing changed, don’t use a bright variant.
- Backgrounds stay dark. Text and state carry the signal.
- No random accents. If a color has no semantic reason, it’s wrong.
Apex Neon is not a palette. It’s a rule system with teeth.