Color conversion
CMYK profile: Coated FOGRA39 · Formats follow CSS Color 4 naming and WCAG 2.2 contrast rules.
At a glance
| Name | Charcoal |
|---|---|
| Romanization | Charcoal |
| Tradition | digital color |
| Family | Grey |
| HEX | #434343 |
| RGB | rgb(67,67,67) |
| HSL | hsl(0 0% 26%) |
| HSV | hsv(0, 0%, 26%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.383 0.000 89.9) |
| LAB | lab(28.41 -0.00 0.00) |
| XYZ | 5,6,6 |
| CMYK | cmyk(0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 73.7%) |
| RAL | #40433B · Grey olive · RAL 6006 |
About this color
Quiet structure, clear precision
Charcoal is #434343, a Grey tone with a clear cultural lineage. Read on its own it belongs to the Grey family; read through its digital color roots, it carries a second layer of meaning.
Design tip
Test Charcoal (#434343) on a neutral surface first; a Grey accent then looks intentional rather than decorative.
Best use
Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
Psychology
How it is perceived
Psychological effect
Charcoal raises the perceived energy of a Grey composition and pulls the eye toward action.
Emotional impact
It feels immediate and warm, so it can lift a restrained layout without making it loud.
Symbolism
What it stands for
Cultural significance
In digital color settings the shade carries local references, so verify its symbolism before a campaign.
Positive associations
Positive associations lean toward stability, neutrality and sophistication, which is why it appears in invitations and seasonal work.
Use with care
Too much surface area can read as indifference or gloom when left unrelieved, so keep it to accents and small fields.
Where it appears
Common design applications
- Campaign landing pages
- Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
- Editorial cover systems
- Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
- Product packaging labels
- Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
- Dashboard status accents
- Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
- Retail wayfinding signs
- Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
Design guidance
How to make it work
Do
- Keep saturated fills below about twenty percent of the layout.
- Use it for the primary call to action and nothing else.
- Check the pairing at small sizes on a neutral background.
Avoid
- Do not place it beside clashing neon greens or electric blues.
- Never use it for long body text on white.
- Avoid gradients that shift its hue into another family.
Brands built on The Sage, The Ruler use it to signal character before they say a word.
Grey is the color of interval and infrastructure, holding other hues apart without competing. Warm greys feel tactile; cool greys feel engineered.
Pairing
Colors that complete it
History
Pigments and provenance
Before synthetic dyes, Charcoal was matched with mineral and plant pigments, and the Grey family depended on sources such as ochre, madder and indigo. Screens now reproduce it more consistently than any single pigment ever could.
Tags
Variations
Shades darken and tints lighten while the hue angle stays fixed.
Shades
Darker steps built from the same hue.
Tints
Lighter steps for surfaces and backgrounds.
Design scale 50–950
#7D7D7D · 4.58:1Use cases
- Shades → hover, shadows, depth
- Tints → highlights, surfaces
- Balance → consistent color systems
Design tip
Keep one dominant tone, one supporter and one accent.
Across color systems
The closest named color in each tradition and design system, measured in OKLCH ΔE. Lower means closer.
Asian color traditions
Design systems
Show all (11)
RAL Classic
Can three steps of one hue work together
Three steps from the 50–950 scale of “Charcoal”: same hue, only lightness differs. Below is the contrast whenever one of them is text on another.
- 200 ↔ 500: 2.45:1 (FAIL)
- 500 ↔ 800: 2.73:1 (FAIL)
- 200 ↔ 800: 6.69:1 (AA)
Pairs reaching 4.5:1 (AA body text): 1 of 3. Pairs reaching 3:1 (large text, icons, borders): 1 of 3. The rest fall below 3:1 and should not carry text.
Color combinations
Rotate the hue wheel while holding lightness steady.
How to use it
Three moves keep the color readable and deliberate.
Why it works
The perceptual reasoning behind the palette.
All six palettes rotate hue at similar lightness, so the best in-group contrast falls between 1.33:1 and 2.24:1. Use them for fills, charts and graphics rather than as text on each other — when you need text, use a neutral or a darker step of the same scale.
Complementary
Opposite the hue wheel; it sharpens the focal color by contrast.
Best use: Calls to action and single-feature highlights
Split-complementary
Two neighbors of the opposite hue; softer than a direct complement.
Best use: Balanced marketing layouts with two accents
Triadic
Three hues spaced evenly; lively but needs one dominant voice.
Best use: Event identities and playful editorial spreads
Analogous
Neighbors on the wheel; quiet, cohesive and easy to scan.
Best use: Backgrounds, charts and calm product pages
Monochromatic
One hue across lightness steps; disciplined and premium.
Best use: Design systems, packaging and typographic hierarchy
Export the scale
CSS
:root {
--brand-50: #F5F5F5;
--brand-100: #EDEDED;
--brand-200: #D9D9D9;
--brand-300: #C2C2C2;
--brand-400: #A9A9A9;
--brand-500: #8A8A8A;
--brand-600: #737373;
--brand-700: #5C5C5C;
--brand-800: #464646;
--brand-900: #313131;
--brand-950: #202020;
}
Tailwind
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
brand: {
50: '#F5F5F5',
100: '#EDEDED',
200: '#D9D9D9',
300: '#C2C2C2',
400: '#A9A9A9',
500: '#8A8A8A',
600: '#737373',
700: '#5C5C5C',
800: '#464646',
900: '#313131',
950: '#202020',
},
},
},
}
Figma
{
"brand": {
"50": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#F5F5F5"
},
"100": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#EDEDED"
},
"200": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#D9D9D9"
},
"300": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#C2C2C2"
},
"400": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#A9A9A9"
},
"500": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#8A8A8A"
},
"600": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#737373"
},
"700": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#5C5C5C"
},
"800": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#464646"
},
"900": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#313131"
},
"950": {
"$type": "color",
"$value": "#202020"
}
}
}
SVG
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1100" height="120"> <rect x="0" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#F5F5F5"/> <rect x="100" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#EDEDED"/> <rect x="200" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#D9D9D9"/> <rect x="300" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#C2C2C2"/> <rect x="400" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#A9A9A9"/> <rect x="500" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#8A8A8A"/> <rect x="600" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#737373"/> <rect x="700" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#5C5C5C"/> <rect x="800" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#464646"/> <rect x="900" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#313131"/> <rect x="1000" y="0" width="100" height="90" fill="#202020"/> <text x="50" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">50</text> <text x="150" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">100</text> <text x="250" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">200</text> <text x="350" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">300</text> <text x="450" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">400</text> <text x="550" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">500</text> <text x="650" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">600</text> <text x="750" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">700</text> <text x="850" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">800</text> <text x="950" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">900</text> <text x="1050" y="112" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" text-anchor="middle" fill="#444">950</text> </svg>
iOS
extension UIColor {
static let brand50 = UIColor(red: 0.961, green: 0.961, blue: 0.961, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand100 = UIColor(red: 0.929, green: 0.929, blue: 0.929, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand200 = UIColor(red: 0.851, green: 0.851, blue: 0.851, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand300 = UIColor(red: 0.761, green: 0.761, blue: 0.761, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand400 = UIColor(red: 0.663, green: 0.663, blue: 0.663, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand500 = UIColor(red: 0.541, green: 0.541, blue: 0.541, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand600 = UIColor(red: 0.451, green: 0.451, blue: 0.451, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand700 = UIColor(red: 0.361, green: 0.361, blue: 0.361, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand800 = UIColor(red: 0.275, green: 0.275, blue: 0.275, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand900 = UIColor(red: 0.192, green: 0.192, blue: 0.192, alpha: 1.0)
static let brand950 = UIColor(red: 0.125, green: 0.125, blue: 0.125, alpha: 1.0)
}
Android
<resources> <color name="brand_50">#F5F5F5</color> <color name="brand_100">#EDEDED</color> <color name="brand_200">#D9D9D9</color> <color name="brand_300">#C2C2C2</color> <color name="brand_400">#A9A9A9</color> <color name="brand_500">#8A8A8A</color> <color name="brand_600">#737373</color> <color name="brand_700">#5C5C5C</color> <color name="brand_800">#464646</color> <color name="brand_900">#313131</color> <color name="brand_950">#202020</color> </resources>
Principles
Balance
Keep one dominant tone, one supporter and one accent.
Contrast
Test body text against both white and black before shipping.
Harmony
Rotate the hue wheel while holding lightness steady.
Color contrast checker
Test body text against both white and black before shipping.
Give Charcoal the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Grey palette support it.
WCAG contrast standards
WCAG 2.2 sets minimum contrast for text and interface parts. #434343 measures 9.89:1 against white (AAA) and 1.91:1 against black (FAIL). Use the table below to choose the right threshold for the text size.
| Level | Normal text | Large text (18pt+ / 14pt bold) | Icons & UI parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | 7 : 1 | 4.5 : 1 | — |
| AA | 4.5 : 1 | 3 : 1 | 3 : 1 |
| Fails | < 4.5 : 1 | < 3 : 1 | < 3 : 1 |
Large text means 18pt regular or 14pt bold. UI parts need 3:1 against adjacent colors. AA is the common compliance baseline; AAA is enhanced.
Technical formats
Notation across color spaces
CSS Color 4
sRGB / D65
HSL
perceptual
CIE Lab
CIE LCH
CIE XYZ
CIE LUV
CSS HWB
Practical formats
Ready-to-use values
custom properties
arbitrary value
ARGB
dart:ui
RGB / CMYK
FOGRA39
Color analysis
Measured color properties
relative luminance · warm
vs white · AAA · warm
vs black · FAIL · warm
saturation 0% · warm
lightness 26% · warm
玄色 #3A3A40 · warm
Blindness simulator
How it reads with color vision deficiency
How it reads with color vision deficiency · ΔE 5.5
Creative aspects
Culture, mood and story
It is commonly read as energy, warmth, confidence and a trace of ceremony.
It is commonly read as energy, warmth, confidence and a trace of ceremony.
It is commonly read as energy, warmth, confidence and a trace of ceremony.
It is commonly read as energy, warmth, confidence and a trace of ceremony.
It is commonly read as energy, warmth, confidence and a trace of ceremony.