Dim Gray #696969
Dim Gray is a medium-dark close to neutral grey with hex code #696969 and RGB rgb(105, 105, 105).
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White text reads best on this color (5.48:1).
About this color
#696969 is a medium-dark close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 52%, its chroma 0.000. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. It is the named color Dim Gray. White text reads best on it, at 5.48:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | medium-dark (52%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.000) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Dim Gray |
| Black text | 3.82:1 |
| White text | 5.48:1 |
Colors that go with Dim Gray
Matches found by rotating Dim Gray around the OKLCH hue wheel, each labelled with the closest name in our list.
Dim Gray is close to neutral, so it has no hue to rotate. It pairs with almost any color; try the palettes below.
Color palettes with Dim Gray
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Dim Gray, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Dim Gray, with their ΔE distance.
- Battleship Gray #6C757D ΔE 0.040
- Slate #516572 ΔE 0.041
- Dark Taupe #7F684E ΔE 0.050
- Grey Brown #7F7053 ΔE 0.055
- Battleship Grey #6B7C85 ΔE 0.060
- Metallic Blue #4F738E ΔE 0.062
- Purple Grey #866F85 ΔE 0.066
- Cocoa #875F42 ΔE 0.067
More about Dim Gray
How to make Dim Gray
A starting recipe from common paint colors, found with a spectral paint model (the color mixer’s paint mode). Real pigments vary, so mix a small test batch and adjust.
- 2 parts white
- 1 part black
Recipe result: #6A6A6A, a difference of ΔE 0.003 from Dim Gray. That is very close: most people will not see the difference.
Codes for Dim Gray in every format
| HEX | #696969 |
| RGB | rgb(105, 105, 105) |
| HSL | hsl(0, 0%, 41%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(52.1% 0 0) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #696969 | 5.48:1 | AA | Lc -82.7 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #696969 | 3.82:1 | AA large text | Lc 26.6 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #696969 text on white | 5.48:1 | AA | Lc 77.4 | Fine for body text |
| #696969 text on black | 3.82:1 | AA large text | Lc -24.3 | Dividers and decoration only |
Shades and tints of Dim Gray
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 700.
-
Step 50
50
#F5F5F5
oklch(97% 0 0)
-
Step 100
100
#EAEAEA
oklch(93.7% 0 0)
-
Step 200
200
#D9D9D9
oklch(88.5% 0 0)
-
Step 300
300
#C0C0C0
oklch(80.8% 0 0)
-
Step 400
400
#A0A0A0
oklch(70.6% 0 0)
-
Step 500
500
#898989
oklch(63% 0 0)
-
Step 600
600
#737373
oklch(55.6% 0 0)
-
Step 700
700 (this color)
#696969
oklch(52.1% 0 0)
-
Step 800
800
#4F4F4F
oklch(42.8% 0 0)
-
Step 900
900
#414141
oklch(37.5% 0 0)
-
Step 950
950
#262626
oklch(26.9% 0 0)
Dim Gray with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #696969 | 0.000 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #696969 | 0.000 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #696969 | 0.000 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #696969 | 0.000 |
Use Dim Gray in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.