Gray
gray · #808080
HEX
#808080
RGB
rgb(128, 128, 128)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 50%)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 50%)
LAB
lab(53.6, 0.0, 0.0)
What is Gray?
Gray is the gray reference in the CSS Named Colors. Its sRGB value is #808080 (rgb 128, 128, 128). It sits in the neutral family. The 147 named colors defined by the W3C CSS Color Module Level 4 specification — usable directly in CSS as keywords like 'crimson' or 'rebeccapurple'. See disclaimer for accuracy and trademark notes.
Accessibility
WCAG 2.1 contrast checks for Gray as a background.
Black text on this color
White text on this color
Shades, tints & tonal scale of Gray
An 11-step tonal scale derived from Gray (#808080). Click any swatch to copy its HEX. Use these as a starting point for design tokens, hover states, and disabled states in a design system.
50
#F5F5F5
#F5F5F5
100
#EBEBEB
#EBEBEB
200
#D6D6D6
#D6D6D6
300
#C0C0C0
#C0C0C0
400
#A0A0A0
#A0A0A0
500
#808080
#808080
600
#6D6D6D
#6D6D6D
700
#535353
#535353
800
#3A3A3A
#3A3A3A
900
#202020
#202020
950
#0F0F0F
#0F0F0F
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
15%
#9C9C9C
30%
#B3B3B3
45%
#C7C7C7
60%
#D8D8D8
75%
#E8E8E8
Darker shades (mixed with black)
15%
#777777
30%
#6C6C6C
45%
#616161
60%
#535353
75%
#424242
Color harmonies for Gray
Classic color-theory harmonies derived from rotating the hue of Gray. Use these to build accent palettes, brand systems, and accessible UI color pairings.
Complementary
180° opposite — strongest contrast
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
Triadic
Three colors 120° apart
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
Analogous
Two neighbors ±30° on the wheel
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
Split-complementary
Base + two colors flanking its complement
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
Tetradic
Two complementary pairs
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
Square
Four colors evenly spaced 90° apart
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
#808080
Gray in every color space
Full conversion of Gray across the color spaces designers and developers actually use — including OKLCH (the perceptually-uniform space that powers Tailwind v4 and CSS Color Module Level 4) and HWB.
HEX
#808080
RGB
rgb(128, 128, 128)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 50%)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 50%)
HSV
hsv(0, 0%, 50%)
HWB
hwb(0 50% 50%)
CIE Lab
lab(53.6 0.0 0.0)
OKLCH
oklch(60.0% 0.000 89.9)
XYZ (D65)
xyz(20.52, 21.59, 23.50)
Copy-ready code for Gray
Drop-in snippets for CSS, Tailwind, Sass, iOS Swift, and Android XML. Click the copy button on any snippet to put it on your clipboard.
CSS
color: #808080;
background-color: #808080;CSS variable
:root {
--color-gray: #808080;
}Tailwind config
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
'gray': '#808080',
}Sass
$color-gray: #808080;Swift UIColor
UIColor(red: 0.502, green: 0.502, blue: 0.502, alpha: 1.0)Android XML
<color name="gray">#808080</color>Closest match in every color system
The nearest Gray equivalent in every other color system on this site, ranked by ΔE2000 perceptual distance. Useful when translating between design-system, web-standard, and industrial color references.
Closest in CSS Named Colors
Top 6 ΔE2000-closest entries within the same collection.
Closest Pantone matches
Top 6 ΔE2000-closest Pantone references. Cross-system matching is approximate — see disclaimer.
Closest RAL Classic matches
Top 6 ΔE2000-closest RAL Classic references for industrial coating cross-reference.
RAL 7037
#7D7F7D
Dusty grey
RAL 9023
#787878
Pearl dark grey
RAL 9007
#8F8F8F
Grey aluminium
RAL 7036
#7F7679
Platinum grey
RAL 7000
#7E8B92
Squirrel grey
RAL 7005
#6B716F
Mouse grey
FAQ about Gray
What is the HEX code for Gray?
Gray (gray) has the HEX code #808080. In RGB it is rgb(128, 128, 128), and in CMYK it is cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 50%).
What is the OKLCH value of Gray?
Gray converts to oklch(0.600 0.000 89.9). OKLCH is the perceptually uniform color space used by Tailwind v4 and CSS Color Module Level 4.
Is Gray accessible for body text?
Used as a background, Gray has a contrast ratio of 5.32:1 with black text and 3.95:1 with white text. WCAG 2.1 AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text. The current recommendation is to use black text and verify in real UI context.
What is the closest Pantone to Gray?
The closest Pantone reference to Gray by ΔE2000 perceptual distance is Pantone Cool Gray 9 C (#75787B). Cross-system Pantone matching is approximate; for color-critical print work, verify with a physical Pantone guide.
What is the closest RAL color to Gray?
The closest RAL Classic reference to Gray by ΔE2000 distance is RAL 7037 (Dusty grey, #7D7F7D). RAL is a German industrial coating standard commonly used for paint, powder coat, and architectural specification.
What is the complementary color of Gray?
The complementary color (180° opposite on the HSL color wheel) of Gray is #808080. Use it for high-contrast accents, error states, or call-to-action pairings.
Data provenance & source
CSS Named Colors (CSS Color Module Level 4)
The 147 named colors defined by the W3C CSS Color Module Level 4 specification. Origin: VGA (16) + X11 (rest) + 'rebeccapurple'. Use as a reference for web color names that all browsers natively support. Names like 'crimson' or 'rebeccapurple' work as CSS values without any framework.
- Source type
- derived
- Confidence
- high
- License
- W3C permissive document license
- Last reviewed
- 2026-05-24
Workflow tags
CSS named colors are sRGB digital values defined for browsers. For print, convert to a process-appropriate color and proof against substrate.