diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 65363a55..94dde681 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -319,4 +319,23 @@ The styling of this website is happening in a number of different places. Some o
 
 The front page includes a number of detailed styling, these are all located in [styles-frontpage.scss](styles-frontpage.scss). They are all wrapped in `#FrontPage` ID so they shouldn't affect anything not located in the front page.
 
-The sidebar for the [Get Started](start/) section has a unique style, and that is specified in the [start/styles.css](start/styles.css) file, that is loaded into each of these pages with either `css: styles.css` or `css: ../styles.css`.
\ No newline at end of file
+The sidebar for the [Get Started](start/) section has a unique style, and that is specified in the [start/styles.css](start/styles.css) file, that is loaded into each of these pages with either `css: styles.css` or `css: ../styles.css`.
+
+### Color palette
+
+The site uses an accessible cranberry color family (base `#BA355F`) documented by the Posit creative team against WCAG 2.2 AA. The full seven-step ramp (three light tints, the base, three dark shades) plus shared surfaces, inks, and code colors live in [`_cranberry.scss`](_cranberry.scss) as SCSS variables (`$cranberry-light-1` … `$cranberry-dark-3`, `$surface-light`/`$surface-dark`, `$ink`/`$ink-inverse`, `$theme-blue`/`$theme-blue-dark`). Both the light and dark themes layer this partial so the ramp is defined once.
+
+**Sass layering gotcha:** Quarto emits `scss:defaults` from *later-listed* theme files first, so `_cranberry.scss` must come **after** the files that consume its variables (it is listed last in each theme list). Conversely, `scss:rules` cascade in listing order.
+
+### Light and dark themes
+
+The `theme:` key (under `format: html:` in [_quarto.yml](_quarto.yml) — the light/dark mapping form is only honored there, not at the top level) defines both a light and a dark theme, so Quarto injects a light/dark toggle in the navbar. `respect-user-color-scheme: true` makes the initial choice follow the reader's OS/browser preference, falling back to light.
+
+- **Light** layers `[cosmo, styles.scss, styles-frontpage.scss, _cranberry.scss]`.
+- **Dark** layers `[cosmo, styles-dark.scss, styles.scss, styles-frontpage.scss, _cranberry.scss]`. The dark surface derives from the existing tidymodels ink (`#1A162D`).
+
+Dark-specific overrides live in [`styles-dark.scss`](styles-dark.scss). Note the ordering: `styles-dark.scss` is listed *before* `styles.scss` so its `scss:defaults` (Bootstrap variables like `$body-bg`, `$link-color`, `$code-color`) win; its `scss:rules` are scoped under `.quarto-dark` so they win on specificity rather than source order. The default code blue (`#4758AB`) fails contrast on the dark surface, so dark mode uses `#919BCD` instead.
+
+Plain CSS files that aren't run through Sass ([`find/listing-cards.css`](find/listing-cards.css) and [`start/styles.css`](start/styles.css)) carry their own `.quarto-dark { … }` override blocks with the ramp values inlined as literals.
+
+**Page-level theme overrides** must also use the mapping form. For example `learn/models/parsnip-predictions/index.qmd` sets `theme: {light: [style.scss], dark: [style.scss]}`; a bare list there fails to merge with the site's light/dark themes.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/_cranberry.scss b/_cranberry.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8abcb104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_cranberry.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*-- scss:defaults --*/
+
+// Tidymodels cranberry color family & accessibility guidance.
+// Prepared by the Posit creative team. Seven-step accessible family keyed to the
+// base cranberry #BA355F, mirroring the tint structure of the Posit brand
+// guidelines. WCAG 2.2 AA contrast is documented against the site's light
+// surface (#FFFFFF) and the dark surface (#1A162D, the existing tidymodels ink).
+//
+// This partial only defines shared color variables; it is layered into both the
+// light and dark themes so the ramp is defined once.
+
+// The family ------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Value                on #FFFFFF          on #1A162D
+$cranberry-light-1: #ECC6D2; // 1.55:1  fills only    11.34:1 AAA
+$cranberry-light-2: #DB96AC; // 2.34:1  fills only     7.50:1 AAA
+$cranberry-light-3: #CB6585; // 3.66:1  Large / UI     4.80:1 AA
+$cranberry-base:    #BA355F; // 5.58:1  AA             3.14:1 Large / UI
+$cranberry-dark-1:  #8B2847; // 8.43:1  AAA            2.08:1 fills only
+$cranberry-dark-2:  #631D33; // 11.97:1 AAA            1.47:1 fills only
+$cranberry-dark-3:  #3A111F; // 16.41:1 AAA            1.07:1 fills only
+
+// Surfaces & neutrals ---------------------------------------------------------
+$surface-light: #FFFFFF;
+$surface-dark:  #1A162D; // existing tidymodels ink
+$ink:           #1A162D; // body text on light  (17.55:1 AAA)
+$ink-inverse:   #DDDDDD; // body text on dark   (12.92:1 AAA)
+
+// Code color — default fails on dark (2.72:1); use the dark-safe variant there.
+$theme-blue:      #4758AB;
+$theme-blue-dark: #919BCD; // 6.50:1 AA on #1A162D
diff --git a/_quarto.yml b/_quarto.yml
index fdad6619..68523f97 100644
--- a/_quarto.yml
+++ b/_quarto.yml
@@ -102,10 +102,23 @@ format:
     include-after-body: html/plausible.html
     code-link: true
     css: fonts/fonts.css
+    respect-user-color-scheme: true
     grid:
       body-width: 840px
-
-theme:
-  - cosmo
-  - styles.scss
-  - styles-frontpage.scss
+    # _cranberry.scss defines the shared color ramp. Quarto emits `scss:defaults`
+    # from later-listed files first, so it must come after the files that use it.
+    theme:
+      light:
+        - cosmo
+        - styles.scss
+        - styles-frontpage.scss
+        - _cranberry.scss
+      dark:
+        # styles-dark.scss is listed before styles.scss so its `scss:defaults`
+        # overrides win; its `scss:rules` are scoped under `.quarto-dark` so they
+        # win on specificity rather than source order.
+        - cosmo
+        - styles-dark.scss
+        - styles.scss
+        - styles-frontpage.scss
+        - _cranberry.scss
diff --git a/find/listing-cards.css b/find/listing-cards.css
index 5882737b..524611be 100644
--- a/find/listing-cards.css
+++ b/find/listing-cards.css
@@ -83,3 +83,14 @@
   .parsnip-card-meta-2 { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
   .listing-filter-summary { padding: 0.5rem 0.7rem; }
 }
+
+/* Dark theme — this is plain CSS (not run through Sass), so the cranberry ramp
+   values from _cranberry.scss are inlined here as literals. */
+.quarto-dark .listing-filter-summary,
+.quarto-dark .listing-filter-panel {
+  background: #241f3a;
+  border-color: rgba(221, 221, 221, 0.25);
+}
+.quarto-dark .parsnip-card + .parsnip-card { border-top-color: rgba(221, 221, 221, 0.15); }
+.quarto-dark .parsnip-card-meta { color: #b3b0bd; }
+.quarto-dark .parsnip-card-meta code { background: rgba(236, 198, 210, 0.08); }
diff --git a/learn/models/parsnip-predictions/index.qmd b/learn/models/parsnip-predictions/index.qmd
index 7e282ba7..7eb6cd1e 100644
--- a/learn/models/parsnip-predictions/index.qmd
+++ b/learn/models/parsnip-predictions/index.qmd
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ toc: true
 toc-depth: 3
 format:
   html:
-    theme: ["style.scss"]
+    # Mapping shape (not a bare list) so it merges into the site's light/dark themes.
+    theme:
+      light: ["style.scss"]
+      dark: ["style.scss"]
 r-packages:
   - tidymodels
   - agua
diff --git a/start/styles.css b/start/styles.css
index 89b1cc8b..cc84aa06 100644
--- a/start/styles.css
+++ b/start/styles.css
@@ -21,5 +21,16 @@ div.sidebar-item-container {
   counter-increment: section;
   content: counter(section, decimal) "";
   padding-right: 0.5em;
-  color:  #CA225E; /* $theme-cranberry */
+  color:  #BA355F; /* $theme-cranberry */
+}
+
+/* Dark theme — plain CSS, so cranberry ramp values are inlined as literals. */
+.quarto-dark .sidebar-menu-container {
+  border-right-color: rgba(221, 221, 221, 0.2);
+}
+.quarto-dark div.sidebar-item-container {
+  color: rgba(221, 221, 221, 0.6);
+}
+.quarto-dark .sidebar-item:not(:first-child)::before {
+  color: #CB6585; /* cranberry-light-3, 4.80:1 on dark */
 }
diff --git a/styles-dark.scss b/styles-dark.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d97c1b92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/styles-dark.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*-- scss:defaults --*/
+
+// Dark theme overrides. The shared cranberry ramp is defined in _cranberry.scss
+// (layered ahead of this file). Surface derives from the existing tidymodels
+// ink (#1A162D) so the color family stays intact. Contrast ratios are against
+// that dark surface. See Tidymodels-ColorGuidance-Accessibility-2025.
+
+$body-bg:         $surface-dark;      // #1A162D
+$body-color:      $ink-inverse;       // #DDDDDD, 12.92:1 AAA
+$link-color:      $cranberry-light-3; // #CB6585, 4.80:1 AA
+$link-hover-color:$cranberry-light-2; // #DB96AC, 7.50:1 AAA
+$code-color:      $theme-blue-dark;   // #919BCD, 6.50:1 AA (default blue fails at 2.72:1)
+$navbar-bg:       $surface-dark;
+
+/*-- scss:rules --*/
+
+// Overrides for surfaces hardcoded to light in styles.scss / styles-frontpage.scss.
+// Scoped under .quarto-dark so they win on specificity regardless of source order.
+.quarto-dark {
+
+  h2 {
+    color: $ink-inverse;
+  }
+
+  // code chunks + inline code — dark translucent tint instead of the light grey
+  div.sourceCode,
+  p code:not(.sourceCode),
+  li code:not(.sourceCode),
+  td code:not(.sourceCode),
+  #session-info div pre code {
+    background-color: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.08);
+    border-color: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.12);
+  }
+
+  #session-info div pre code {
+    color: $ink-inverse;
+  }
+
+  // output tables — flip the odd (white) rows and bottom border to dark surface
+  .cell-output-display table {
+    thead {
+      background-color: rgba($cranberry-base, 0.25);
+    }
+
+    tbody {
+      tr:nth-of-type(even) > * {
+        background-color: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.08);
+        --bs-table-accent-bg: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.08);
+      }
+
+      tr:nth-of-type(odd) > * {
+        background-color: $surface-dark;
+        --bs-table-accent-bg: $surface-dark;
+      }
+
+      tr:last-of-type {
+        border-bottom-color: rgba($ink-inverse, 0.2);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // sidebar resource stickies
+  .section.resources .event a {
+    color: $ink-inverse;
+
+    &:hover {
+      color: $cranberry-light-3;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Front page — bands and the event card hardcode light surfaces in
+  // styles-frontpage.scss. Override them here and drop the decorative
+  // tidy-back-*.svg backgrounds (light-canvas illustrations with white
+  // strokes that clash on the dark surface).
+  #FrontPage {
+
+    .event {
+      background-color: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.06);
+      border-color: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.15);
+      color: $ink-inverse;
+    }
+
+    .band.first .bandContent,
+    .band.third .bandContent {
+      background-color: transparent;
+      background-image: none;
+    }
+
+    .band.second {
+      background-color: $surface-dark;
+      border-top-color: rgba($ink-inverse, 0.15);
+      border-bottom-color: rgba($ink-inverse, 0.15);
+
+      .bandContent {
+        background-color: transparent;
+        background-image: none;
+        color: $ink-inverse;
+      }
+    }
+
+    .band.first,
+    .band.third {
+      background-color: $surface-dark;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/styles.scss b/styles.scss
index f31b665a..e32148c5 100644
--- a/styles.scss
+++ b/styles.scss
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 /*-- scss:defaults --*/
-$theme-cranberry: #CA225E;
-$theme-blue: #4758AB;
-$theme-white: #FFFFFF;
+// Color ramp ($cranberry-*, $theme-blue, $surface-*, $ink*) is defined in
+// _cranberry.scss, layered ahead of this file in _quarto.yml.
+$theme-cranberry: $cranberry-base; // #BA355F
+$theme-white: $surface-light;
 $theme-grey: #DDDDDD;
-$theme-black: #1a162d;
+$theme-black: $ink; // #1a162d
 $theme-code-bg: rgba(233,236,239,.3);
 
 // Suppress cosmo's default Source Sans Pro Google Fonts import — we use Lato.
 $web-font-path: "";
 
 // Colors ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-$link-color: $theme-cranberry;
+$link-color: $cranberry-base;
+$link-hover-color: $cranberry-dark-1; // 8.43:1 AAA on white
 
 // Fonts -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 $font-family-sans-serif: 'Lato', sans-serif;
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ $code-color: $theme-blue;
 $navbar-bg: $theme-white;
 
 $footer-bg: rgba($theme-cranberry, 0.2);
-$footer-fg: darken($theme-cranberry, 12%);
+$footer-fg: $cranberry-dark-1; // 8.43:1 AAA on white
 
 /*-- scss:rules --*/
 
@@ -40,6 +42,12 @@ a {
   text-decoration: none;
 }
 
+// Accessible keyboard focus indicator (≥3:1, per the cranberry guidance).
+:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid $cranberry-base;
+  outline-offset: 2px;
+}
+
 // Inline SVG icons — used in place of Font Awesome / Bootstrap Icons to keep
 // the front page from loading their CSS and woff2 font files. Currently used by:
 //   * fa-flag-checkered + fa-lightbulb in index.qmd (FA Free 6 Solid)
@@ -228,7 +236,7 @@ p code:not(.sourceCode), li code:not(.sourceCode), td code:not(.sourceCode) {
 
   thead {
     font-weight: 600;
-    background-color: rgba($theme-cranberry, 0.15);
+    background-color: $cranberry-light-1; // L1 fill, ≥12:1 with ink text
 
     tr th {
       padding: 15px 13px;
@@ -242,8 +250,8 @@ p code:not(.sourceCode), li code:not(.sourceCode), td code:not(.sourceCode) {
 
   tbody {
     tr:nth-of-type(even) > * {
-      background-color: rgba($theme-cranberry, 0.03);
-      --bs-table-accent-bg: rgba($theme-cranberry, 0.03);
+      background-color: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.25);
+      --bs-table-accent-bg: rgba($cranberry-light-1, 0.25);
     }
 
     tr:nth-of-type(odd) > * {