The printable sheet
One Letter page: the numbered chart with its codes, an empty row to recreate each shade, and a strip for your tests.
Free tool · color chart
Shades of Gray (Grey): 16 Gray Color Names With Hex Codes
From platinum to charcoal, here are the different shades of gray (or grey, the British spelling), each with its name and code: some lean blue, green or brown. Click a swatch to copy its HEX, RGB or CMYK code, or make your own shade of gray with the sliders.
Swatch 500
Gray 500
Closest named shade: Gray #808080
- HEX
#848484 - RGB
rgb(132, 132, 132) - CMYK
0, 0, 0, 48 - HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 52%)
Make your own shade
#848484 #848484
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- Codes free to use
- Nothing is uploaded
Light Gray Colors
Bright, almost-white grays: platinum, gainsboro, silver and ash gray.
Medium Gray Shades
Everyday grays, neutral or tinted: pewter, taupe gray, slate gray and steel gray.
Dark Shades of Gray
Deep grays, from iron gray to charcoal, close to black.
List of Gray Color Names and Hex Codes
Every shade of gray on this page with its HEX, RGB and CMYK codes, copied in one click.
| Shade | HEX | RGB | CMYK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | #E5E4E2 | rgb(229, 228, 226) | 0, 0, 1, 10 | |
| Gainsboro | #DCDCDC | rgb(220, 220, 220) | 0, 0, 0, 14 | |
| Light gray | #D3D3D3 | rgb(211, 211, 211) | 0, 0, 0, 17 | |
| Silver | #C0C0C0 | rgb(192, 192, 192) | 0, 0, 0, 25 | |
| Ash gray | #B2BEB5 | rgb(178, 190, 181) | 6, 0, 5, 25 | |
| Medium gray | #A9A9A9 | rgb(169, 169, 169) | 0, 0, 0, 34 | |
| Pewter | #8E9294 | rgb(142, 146, 148) | 4, 1, 0, 42 | |
| Taupe gray | #8B8589 | rgb(139, 133, 137) | 0, 4, 1, 45 | |
| Gray | #808080 | rgb(128, 128, 128) | 0, 0, 0, 50 | |
| Slate gray | #708090 | rgb(112, 128, 144) | 22, 11, 0, 44 | |
| Steel gray | #71797E | rgb(113, 121, 126) | 10, 4, 0, 51 | |
| Stormy gray | #4F666A | rgb(79, 102, 106) | 25, 4, 0, 58 | |
| Iron gray | #52595D | rgb(82, 89, 93) | 12, 4, 0, 64 | |
| Lead gray | #4D4D4D | rgb(77, 77, 77) | 0, 0, 0, 70 | |
| Dark slate gray | #2F4F4F | rgb(47, 79, 79) | 41, 0, 0, 69 | |
| Charcoal | #36454F | rgb(54, 69, 79) | 32, 13, 0, 69 |
What Colors Make Gray?
The simplest gray is black mixed with white. For a livelier gray, mix two opposite colors such as blue and orange, then lighten with white. A touch of color then warms it up or cools it down.
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Gray
black + white
Add the black to the white, a little at a time: a touch of black greys a lot of white.
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Colorful gray
blue + orange + white
Two opposite colors, lightened with white, make a livelier gray than black and white.
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Warm gray
gray + a touch of brown
A touch of brown, or red, warms the gray up toward taupe.
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Cool gray
gray + a touch of blue
A touch of blue cools the gray into slate gray.
Depending on your supplies
Colored pencils
With pencils, you don’t mix: you layer. Lay down the lightest shade in light strokes, then the darker one on top, without pressing. To lighten gray, finish with a white pencil; to darken it, add a touch of grey or of its opposite color.
Markers
Water-based markers don’t blend well: pick the right shade straight away. With alcohol markers, go over a darker shade with a lighter one while it is still wet to soften the transition.
Watercolor
Mix on the palette, not on the paper. For a lighter shade, add water rather than white: the white of the paper does the lightening.
Paint
Acrylic or gouache: always add the dark color to the light one, a little at a time. Write down the amounts so you can find your shade again.
Gray Color Palettes
Four palettes taken from the chart, ready for a coloring page or a design. Click a color to copy its code.
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Monochrome
As a gradient -
Soft & light
As a gradient -
Deep
As a gradient -
With contrast
As a gradient
Printable Gray Color Chart to Color In
A printable sheet to practice with: recreate each shade of gray with colored pencils or paint, box by box.
Try them on a coloring page
Three shades from the chart on a real drawing: the lightest in the center, the darkest at the edge.
Want to do it by hand? Pick a drawing to print or color online.
Frequently asked questions
Is it gray or grey?
Both are correct: gray is the American spelling, grey the British one. They name the same color.
How many shades of gray are there?
On a screen there are 254 neutral grays between white and black, and many more tinted ones. This page gathers the 16 best-known grays with their names.
What is the hex code for gray?
The reference medium gray is #808080, or rgb(128, 128, 128). A neutral gray always has three equal RGB values.
What is the difference between charcoal and slate gray?
Charcoal (#36454F) is a very dark, almost black gray; slate gray (#708090) is lighter and leans blue.
What colors go with gray?
Mustard yellow for a bright touch, dusty pink for softness, teal for a deep look. Our grey gradients show ready-to-download examples.
