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Silver 3 / 27 Grays Slate
#36454F
Gray family

Charcoal

Also known as: sophisticated · muted · resilient · earthy · versatile
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Hex #36454F
RGB rgb(54, 69, 79)
HSL hsl(204°, 19%, 26%)
CMYK 32 · 13 · 0 · 69
RAL RAL 6012 · Black Green
NCS S 7500-N

RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.

Meaning

In Western design, charcoal suggests sophistication and stability, often used in modern interiors to convey elegance. Conversely, in some Eastern cultures, it can symbolize resilience and strength, reflecting the enduring nature of the charcoal material itself.

The term 'charcoal' has roots in the Old French word 'charcole', meaning 'burnt wood', which dates back to the 14th century. Traditionally, charcoal has been used not only for art but also as a fuel source and in metallurgy, highlighting its multifaceted role throughout history.

sophisticatedmutedresilientearthyversatile

The story of Charcoal

Where the name and the color come from.

Charcoal is named after the material — the dark grey-black residue left when wood is burned slowly without enough oxygen, used for fuel, filtration and, crucially, drawing. The color is that deep, soft, slightly warm grey-black.

Because it stops just short of true black, charcoal reads as softer and more sophisticated. It carries the texture and depth of artists' charcoal rather than the flatness of pure black, which is why it works so well as a "warmer black" in design.

Where you'll see Charcoal

The places, brands and moments that shaped this color.

The charcoal suit

Charcoal is the most versatile color in menswear tailoring — more approachable than black, more formal than mid-grey.

Artists' charcoal

Compressed and vine charcoal have been core drawing media for centuries, the source of both the material and the color name.

Architecture and electronics

Charcoal cladding, concrete and device finishes use the color to read modern, premium and understated.

Using Charcoal in design

How it behaves in interiors, fashion and branding.

Charcoal is a sophisticated near-black that grounds a scheme without the harshness of true black. On walls, cabinetry and upholstery it adds depth and drama while still feeling soft, and it serves as a superb backdrop for both warm accents (mustard, tan, brass) and cool ones (teal, white).

In branding and fashion it signals modern, premium restraint — the choice when black feels too stark but grey feels too timid.

What pairs with Charcoal

Curated combinations — and exactly why each one works.

Charcoal + White

Charcoal and white is a clean, high-contrast modern classic — graphic without the severity of black-and-white.

Charcoal + Mustard

Mustard's warm gold glows dramatically against charcoal, a confident retro-modern pairing.

Charcoal + Teal

Deep teal and charcoal make a moody, sophisticated tonal scheme.

Charcoal + Blush

Soft blush warms charcoal's coolness, balancing edge with softness.

Similar colors

Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Charcoal. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).

All 27 Grays →

Gunmetal

#2C3539 · ΔE 8.1

Onyx

#353839 · ΔE 8.9

Payne's Gray

#536878 · ΔE 14.9

Slate

#708090 · ΔE 24.6

Air Force Blue

#5D8AA8 · ΔE 30.1

Steel Blue

#4682B4 · ΔE 34.2

Shades & tints

Nine steps of Charcoal by lightness — from #1C2429 (darkest) to #969EA3 (lightest). Click any to copy.

-40% #1C2429
-30% #232C33
-20% #29343C
-10% #303D46
BASE #36454F
+15% #4E5B64
+30% #667279
+50% #7E888E
+70% #969EA3

Complementary

Sitting opposite Charcoal at 24° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.

Walnut

#773F1A

Raw Sienna

#D68A59

Apricot

#FBCEB1

Pumpkin

#FF7518

Palettes

Curated 5-color combinations featuring Charcoal.

#36454F
#FFCC00
#F5F5F5
#A0A0A0
#8B0000

Urban Elegance

Modern chic
#36454F
#4B8B3B
#FFFFFF
#A9A9A9
#FFD700

Nature's Depths

Organic warmth
#36454F
#5B9BD5
#D3D3D3
#2C2C2C
#F0E68C

Coastal Calm

Serene balance

Charcoal scale

A 50–900 tonal scale with Charcoal anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.

50 #EFF0F1
100 #DBDEDF
200 #B3B8BC
300 #8A9399
400 #606C74
500 #36454F
600 #2C3941
700 #242E34
800 #1B2328
900 #12171B

Accessibility

Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.

Aa Best text color: #FFFFFF · 9.9:1
Charcoal as text on… Ratio AA AAA
Aa White background 9.9:1 Pass Pass
Aa Black background 2.12:1 Fail Fail

Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.

How to use #36454F

Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.

CSS color: #36454F;
CSS color-mix (lighten 30%) color-mix(in srgb, #36454F 70%, white)
HSV / HSB 204°, 32%, 31%
CMYK (print) 32, 13, 0, 69
Decimal 3556687
Nearest web-safe #333366

Color vision

How Charcoal appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.

Normal vision

#36454F

Protanopia (no red)

#3C3D4D

Deuteranopia (no green)

#3C3B4C

Tritanopia (no blue)

#374B4A

Charcoal FAQ

Quick answers to the questions people ask about Charcoal.

Is charcoal grey or black?

It is a very dark grey — a near-black. Charcoal stops short of true black, retaining just enough lightness to read as a deep grey, which makes it softer and more versatile than black.

What is the difference between charcoal and slate?

Charcoal is darker and more neutral (a deep grey-black), while slate is lighter and carries a distinct blue undertone. Charcoal reads as a warm-leaning near-black; slate reads as a cool, bluish mid-grey.

What colors go with charcoal?

White for crisp contrast, mustard and tan for warmth, teal and navy for a deep tonal look, and blush or coral to soften it. Charcoal works as a sophisticated stand-in for black with almost any accent.

Silver 3 / 27 Grays Slate
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