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Monochrome · Date · 2 × 2 widget

Monochrome date widget

By the WidgetCraft team · Updated November 13, 2026

A monochrome date widget shows the weekday, a large day number and the month. Black, white and greys only, with contrast doing all the work. This page gives the exact colors, type settings and layers, with a preview drawn from the same values.

Monochrome date widget design preview: Black, white and greys only, with contrast doing all the work. — Design preview drawn from the recipe below. Example values are shown; your widget uses live data.

What a monochrome date widget shows

A date widget is the calm alternative to a clock: one large number for the day, with the weekday above and the month below. It suits small 2 × 2 spaces and pairs well with a clock elsewhere on the screen.

It uses the phone's date, so it is free, works offline and needs no permission. WidgetCraft's Date layer takes a pattern, so each line can show a different part of the date.

How the monochrome style shapes it

Monochrome widgets use no color at all. Black, white and two greys create the hierarchy, which makes any wallpaper work and gives the home screen a consistent, graphic look.

Numbers: Make the number black and heavy; the label beneath in mid grey.
Text: Use weight instead of color: bold for the value, regular grey for the label.

Monochrome date widget recipe

Layer	Settings
Canvas	200 × 200, background #FFFFFF, corner radius 16
Date	weekday (pattern EEEE), size 15, color #0E0E0E, centered
Date	day number (pattern d), built-in Sans, weight 600, size 92, color #0E0E0E
Date	month (pattern MMMM), size 15, color #7D7D7D
Font	built-in Sans
Home screen size	2 × 2 cells

Monochrome color palette

White #FFFFFFBackground
Light grey #EDEDEDSurface and tracks
Black #0E0E0EText
Mid grey #7D7D7DLabels
Black #0E0E0EAccent

How to make a monochrome date widget in WidgetCraft

Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 200 × 200, the background to #FFFFFF and the corner radius to 16.
Tap Add and choose Date. Set the pattern to the full weekday (EEEE), the size to 15 and the color to #0E0E0E.
Add a second Date layer with the day number (pattern d) at size 92 in #0E0E0E, using built-in Sans.
Add a third Date layer with the full month (MMMM) at size 15 in #7D7D7D.
Center all three layers on the canvas.
Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.

Everything in this recipe works in the free version.

Tips for monochrome date widgets

Check that black and white swap cleanly if you make a dark version.
Use two greys at most.
Make the day number at least twice the size of the other lines.
Write the month in full if there is room; short forms such as "Nov" look cramped in serif fonts.
Pair it with a clock widget in the same font rather than squeezing the time into the same 2 × 2 space.
Do not add a colored accent; it breaks the effect.
Do not use low-contrast grey on grey for values.

Questions about the monochrome date widget

What size is a monochrome date widget?

It is designed for 2 × 2 home screen cells on a 200 × 200 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.

Which colors does it use?

White (#FFFFFF) for the background, Black (#0E0E0E) for the main text, Mid grey (#7D7D7D) for labels and Black (#0E0E0E) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

Yes. Date widgets use free features in WidgetCraft, and the monochrome styling is free too.

What else is this style called?

People also search for black and white date widget, greyscale date widget, b&w date widget. They describe the same look as this monochrome date widget.

More monochrome widgets

Date widgets in other styles