Dark grey is a neutral and versatile color that can work well in many design schemes. When thinking about dark grey, it’s helpful to understand what colors and shades comprise this broad color category.
Defining Dark Grey
Grey is a tone produced by mixing black and white. The specific ratio of black to white determines how light or dark the resulting grey will be. Dark grey sits on the blacker end of the grey spectrum. It has enough black mixed in to make it distinctly darker than medium or light greys, while still retaining enough white to differentiate it from true black.
There are no strictly defined boundaries for what constitutes “dark” grey. In general, colors with RGB or CMYK codes resulting in greater than 50% black would fall into the dark grey category. Any grey with a lightness value below 50% could also be considered a dark grey.
Specific Shades of Dark Grey
Here are some examples of commonly recognized dark grey colors:
| Color Name | Hex Code | RGB Code | CMYK Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charcoal | #36454F | 54, 69, 79 | 32, 13, 0, 69 |
| Gunmetal | #2c3539 | 44, 53, 57 | 23, 7, 0, 78 |
| Davys Grey | #595652 | 89, 86, 82 | 0, 4, 9, 65 |
| Dim Gray | #696969 | 105, 105, 105 | 0, 0, 0, 59 |
| Cadet Grey | #91A3B0 | 145, 163, 176 | 18, 8, 0, 31 |
| Charleston Green | #232B2B | 35, 43, 43 | 19, 0, 0, 83 |
| Eerie Black | #1C1D21 | 28, 29, 33 | 0, 7, 14, 89 |
| Dark Slate Grey | #2F4F4F | 47, 79, 79 | 41, 0, 0, 69 |
As you can see, dark greys span a wide gamut, from the very dark near-black tones like Charcoal and Eerie Black, to lighter greys on the border with medium tones, like Cadet Grey and Dim Gray.
Comparing Dark Grey to Black
Dark greys sit next to black on the color wheel. So what distinguishes dark grey from true black? While there are no hard rules, in general:
- Black has an RGB value of 0, 0, 0 and a CMYK value of 0, 0, 0, 100. Dark greys will have higher RGB values and lower CMYK black percentages.
- Dark greys retain a noticeable grey cast while black does not. However, some dark greys can appear very close to black.
- Black absorbs the most light. Dark greys absorb less light than true black.
Essentially, dark grey is not completely black, but it is significantly darker than medium or light grey tones.
Uses for Dark Grey
Dark grey has many versatile uses including:
- Backgrounds – As a subtle, neutral background that doesn’t overpower other elements.
- Borders – As a clean border or divider line.
- Text – Dark grey can make an elegant, high contrast text color.
- Highlights – As a secondary accent color for things like icons or UI elements.
- Shading – Adding dimension to illustrations or designs through darker areas.
Dark grey works well in minimalist, modern, and corporate designs. Its versatility also allows it to be combined with virtually any other color scheme.
Dark Grey Color Palettes
Here are some examples of pleasing color palettes using different shades of dark grey:
Monochrome Dark Grey
- Eerie Black – #1C1D21
- Charcoal – #36454F
- Cadet Grey – #91A3B0
Dark Grey and Yellow
- Charleston Green – #232B2B
- Gold – #D4AF37
- Lemon Chiffon – #FFFACD
Dark Grey and Blue
- Gunmetal – #2C3539
- Steel Blue – #4682B4
- Baby Blue – #89CFF0
Dark Grey, Red and White
- Dark Slate Grey – #2F4F4F
- Maroon – #800000
- White – #FFFFFF
Dark grey can work with warm tones like yellows, oranges and reds. But it most commonly partners with cool tones like blues, greens, purples, and neutrals like white and black.
Conclusion
Dark grey encompasses a wide range of deep, muted grey tones that have an elegant and refined effect. It can add subtle contrast without being overbearing. The versatility of dark grey allows it to work in both vibrant or minimalist color schemes, making it a broadly useful neutral color for all types of designs and aesthetics.
