Brand gradient

Southwest Airlines gradient

The gradient Southwest Airlines's published colour tokens imply, derived by a pure function of the palette: primary → secondary in OKLab (OKLCH shorter hue when the hues are more than 140° apart; a tonal ramp when they are within ΔE 0.15), then a hero background with an ink that passes AA at the worst point along the line, a button surface with hover and active states, and the variant contact sheet. Same inputs, same gradients, forever — which is what makes them citable; the same values are served as --brand-gradient in the brand's brand.css.

#090f23 #111b40 #ffbf27

Open in the maker Southwest Airlines colors →Full brand page →airlines

Source: southwest.com
Extracted: 5 September 2026
Version: 5

Southwest Airlines

white text · worst 11.12:1 · AA

white 11.12 AAblack 1.00 failsbanding high

Hero and button

Hero background

Open in maker →

Chroma ×0.35 so it can carry text; ink white (inkFor at the midpoint). Passes AA for that ink at the worst point (11.03:1) without adjusting L.

white 11.03 AAblack 1.00 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #393c44 0%, #0e1017 50%, #000102 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#393c44] via-[#0e1017] to-[#000102]

Button / CTA

Open in maker →

ΔL 0.08 top→bottom in the primary's hue (a lit surface, not a rainbow); hover L +0.03, active L −0.03. White ink passes AA on the surface and both states (worst 16.33:1).

white 17.61 AAblack 1.05 failsbanding high

Get started

hover

active

label ink passes AA on all three

css

linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #11182d 0%, #030719 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-b/oklch from-[#11182d] to-[#030719]

Variants

Tonal ramp

Open in maker →

white 11.12 AAblack 1.00 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #333b52 0%, #090f23 50%, #000006 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#333b52] via-[#090f23] to-[#000006]

Analogous

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Partner hue from the analogous rule at the source colour's lightness.

white 18.95 AAblack 1.10 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklab, #090f23 0%, #0b1116 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklab from-[#090f23] to-[#0b1116]

Complementary

Open in maker →

Partner hue from the complementary rule at the source colour's lightness. ΔH 175° > 140° — interpolating in oklch (shorter hue) keeps the midpoint saturated.

white 18.95 AAblack 1.10 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #090f23 0%, #13100a 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#090f23] to-[#13100a]

Triadic

Open in maker →

Partner hue from the triadic rule at the source colour's lightness.

white 18.95 AAblack 1.10 failsbanding high

css

linear-gradient(135deg in oklab, #090f23 0%, #1b0c0a 100%)

tailwind v4

bg-linear-to-br/oklab from-[#090f23] to-[#1b0c0a]

Report — brand gradient

white ink: worst 11.12:1 at 0% (AA); black ink: worst 1.00:1 at 100% (fails AA) → use white text.
Black text disappears completely at 100% (1.00:1 crossing).
Banding high: ~25px bands at 1440px — add grain 47 (≈3% soft-light noise) or shorten the ramp.

Export

The custom properties below are byte-identical to the gradient block in brand.css; the DTCG token is what tokens.json carries.

css custom properties · brand.css

:root {
  /* Brand gradient (derived) */
  /* worst-case contrast: white 11.12:1 AA, black 1.00:1 */
  --brand-gradient: linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #333b52 0%, #090f23 50%, #000006 100%);
  /* hero — worst-case contrast: white 11.03:1 AA, black 1.00:1; ink passes AA at the worst point */
  --brand-gradient-hero: linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #393c44 0%, #0e1017 50%, #000102 100%);
  --brand-gradient-hero-ink: #ffffff;
  /* button — worst-case contrast: white 17.61:1 AA, black 1.05:1 */
  --brand-gradient-button: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #11182d 0%, #030719 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-hover: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #181f35 0%, #070d21 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-active: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #0b1125 0%, #010312 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-ink: #ffffff;
}

svg · brand gradient

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1440" height="600" viewBox="0 0 1440 600"><defs><linearGradient id="bs-gradient" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x1="210" y1="-210" x2="1230" y2="810"><stop offset="0%" stop-color="#333b52"/><stop offset="3.57%" stop-color="#30384e"/><stop offset="7.14%" stop-color="#2d344b"/><stop offset="10.71%" stop-color="#293148"/><stop offset="14.29%" stop-color="#262e44"/><stop offset="17.86%" stop-color="#232b41"/><stop offset="21.43%" stop-color="#20273d"/><stop offset="25%" stop-color="#1d243a"/><stop offset="28.57%" stop-color="#1a2137"/><stop offset="32.14%" stop-color="#171e33"/><stop offset="35.71%" stop-color="#141b30"/><stop offset="39.29%" stop-color="#11182d"/><stop offset="42.86%" stop-color="#0e1529"/><stop offset="46.43%" stop-color="#0c1226"/><stop offset="50%" stop-color="#090f23"/><stop offset="53.57%" stop-color="#070d21"/><stop offset="57.14%" stop-color="#060b1f"/><stop offset="60.71%" stop-color="#05091c"/><stop offset="64.29%" stop-color="#04081a"/><stop offset="67.86%" stop-color="#030618"/><stop offset="71.43%" stop-color="#020516"/><stop offset="75%" stop-color="#010414"/><stop offset="78.57%" stop-color="#010312"/><stop offset="82.14%" stop-color="#010210"/><stop offset="85.71%" stop-color="#00020d"/><stop offset="89.29%" stop-color="#00010b"/><stop offset="92.86%" stop-color="#000109"/><stop offset="96.43%" stop-color="#000008"/><stop offset="100%" stop-color="#000006"/></linearGradient></defs><rect width="1440" height="600" fill="url(#bs-gradient)"/></svg>

dtcg · tokens.json

{
  "gradient": {
    "brand": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.2,
              0.231,
              0.322
            ],
            "hex": "#333b52"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.035,
              0.059,
              0.137
            ],
            "hex": "#090f23"
          },
          "position": 0.5
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0,
              0,
              0.024
            ],
            "hex": "#000006"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #333b52 0%, #090f23 50%, #000006 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 135,
          "name": "brand",
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 11.122,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.003,
              "at": 1,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "The canonical brand gradient (--brand-gradient)."
    },
    "hero": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.224,
              0.235,
              0.267
            ],
            "hex": "#393c44"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.055,
              0.063,
              0.09
            ],
            "hex": "#0e1017"
          },
          "position": 0.5
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0,
              0.004,
              0.008
            ],
            "hex": "#000102"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #393c44 0%, #0e1017 50%, #000102 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 135,
          "name": "hero",
          "ink": "#ffffff",
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 11.031,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.005,
              "at": 0.9841,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "Low-chroma hero background with a text-safe ink (--brand-gradient-hero)."
    },
    "button": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.067,
              0.094,
              0.176
            ],
            "hex": "#11182d"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.012,
              0.027,
              0.098
            ],
            "hex": "#030719"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #11182d 0%, #030719 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 180,
          "name": "button",
          "ink": "#ffffff",
          "states": {
            "hover": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #181f35 0%, #070d21 100%)",
            "active": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #0b1125 0%, #010312 100%)"
          },
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 17.612,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.048,
              "at": 0.9841,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "Button / CTA surface with hover and active states (--brand-gradient-button)."
    }
  }
}

Colours

#090f23 #111b40 #ffbf27

mcpConnect your agent — Southwest Airlines's gradients on demand

live endpoint

Point any MCP client at the shared gradients endpoint and your agent gets the same engine as this page — make_gradient returns CSS with the interpolation space, Tailwind v4, SVG, a PNG URL, a DTCG token and the contrast report in one call; brand_gradients derives the whole contact sheet from a brand or a palette. Read-only, no key. Every gradient is a /gradients/new/… link: open it, refine, paste it back.

endpointhttps://mcp.brandsweets.com/gradients/mcp

claude mcp add --transport http brandsweets-gradients https://mcp.brandsweets.com/gradients/mcp

try this prompt

›brand_gradients for southwest-com — give me the hero CSS and the ink that passes AA, then a version in oklch

Want the agent to remember your picks and write them into a living brand? Create a free BrandSweets workspace.

Southwest Airlines and its marks belong to their owner. This page uses the name nominatively to describe gradients derived from the brand's published colour values; it does not reproduce logos or other brand assets, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Southwest Airlines. Owner of this brand? Request a correction or removal → Machine-readable: gradients.md