RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western cultures, Dark Gray often symbolizes formality and professionalism, while in Eastern traditions, it can signify balance and calmness. This duality allows it to function as a stabilizing color in design and fashion.
The use of gray as a color dates back to the 16th century, with the term 'gray' originating from the Old English 'græg'. Historically, Dark Gray pigments were derived from natural sources like charcoal and graphite, making them accessible yet impactful in art and textiles.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Dark Gray. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 27 Grays →Nine steps of Dark Gray by lightness — from #585858 (darkest) to #D2D2D2 (lightest). Click any to copy.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Dark Gray.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Dark Gray anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on dark backgrounds; fails on light.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: darkgray; color-mix(in srgb, darkgray 70%, white) 0°, 0%, 66% 0, 0, 0, 34 11119017 #999999 How Dark Gray appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.