RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western contexts, slate symbolizes stability and reliability, often associated with wisdom and professionalism. However, in some Eastern cultures, gray tones like slate can also represent detachment or neutrality, indicating a balance between extremes.
The term 'slate' originated in the late 14th century, referencing the fine-grained rock used for roofing and writing slates. The unique bluish-gray pigment gained popularity in the early 19th century when artists began using it in oil paints, thanks to its muted, natural hue.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Slate. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 27 Grays →Nine steps of Slate by lightness — from #3A434B (darkest) to #B5BDC5 (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Slate at 30° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Slate.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Slate 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: slategray; color-mix(in srgb, slategray 70%, white) 210°, 22%, 56% 22, 11, 0, 44 7372944 #669999 How Slate appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.