Colors Encyclopedia

Named color

Dark Gray

Dark Gray color #A9A9A9: RGB 169, 169, 169 and HSL 0°, 0%, 66%. Explore its neutral gray profile, contrast, CSS, palettes and harmonies.

#A9A9A9 gray neutral muted
HEX #A9A9A9
RGB rgb(169, 169, 169)
HSL hsl(0 0% 66%)
CMYK cmyk(0, 0, 0, 34)
Luminance 0.3968
Contrast Black 8.94:1White 2.35:1

Use this color

Create with Dark Gray

Open a professional color tool with #A9A9A9 already applied. Each configuration stays canonical to the tool and can be adjusted or shared.

All color tools
Generate palette & CSS variablesCreate 50–950 tokens and export CSS, SCSS, JSON, or Tailwind.Open configured tool →Open in Gradient StudioStart with Dark Gray and its complementary color.Open configured tool →Mix this colorBlend it with a complementary color and copy color-mix() CSS.Open configured tool →Check contrastOpen the strongest black or white background pairing.Open configured tool →Accessible combinationsReview AA and AAA text options, alternatives, warnings, and UI guidance.Open configured tool →Create glass surfaceUse this color as the tint for a translucent UI panel.Open configured tool →

CSS Utilities

--color-dark-gray: #A9A9A9;
.bg-dark-gray { background-color: #A9A9A9; }
.text-dark-gray { color: #A9A9A9; }
Open CSS utility pageReusable variables, classes, examples, and implementation notes

Color meaning and use

About Dark Gray Color

Dark Gray uses HEX #A9A9A9, RGB 169, 169, 169, and HSL 0°, 0%, 66%. The dataset classifies it in the gray family with neutral temperature and muted visual character.

No separate named-color neighbor is recorded for this entry. Its relative luminance is 0.3968; black contrast is 8.94:1 and white contrast is 2.35:1, making black the stronger of those two standard foreground choices.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Dark Gray against black and white text.

Black text8.94:1AA Pass
White text2.35:1AA Fail
AA text options#000000, #1A1A1A
AAA text options#000000, #1A1A1A
Open WCAG pageDetailed contrast notes, warnings, alternatives, and UI examples

Downloadable color reference infographic

Dark Gray Color Reference Infographic

Save a high-resolution infographic of Dark Gray, including its color values, coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.

1200 × 800
Dark Gray color reference infographic showing #A9A9A9, RGB and HSL values, a coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.
Dark Gray color reference infographic generated from the verified Colors Encyclopedia dataset.
Download WebPDownload SVGOpen full size

Color Harmonies

#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8
Open full Dark Gray harmony pageComplementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split, and monochromatic sets

Variants

#D6D6D6#D6D6D6#7A7A7A#7A7A7A#BB9595#BB9595#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#E8E8E8#E8E8E8#FF7A7A#FF7A7A

Pairings

Black#000000#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8#A8A8A8Matte Black#1A1A1AWhite Smoke#F5F5F5

Machine-readable data

Machine-Readable Color Data (JSON)

Perfect for CSS, design systems, automation, and AI ingestion.

AI-Ready Dataset v1.0.0
Luminance0.3968
Black text8.94:1AA Pass
White text2.35:1AA Fail
hexCanonical HEX value
rgbRed, green, blue channels
hslHue, saturation, lightness
cmykApproximate print conversion
wcagAA and AAA contrast options
harmoniesMathematical harmony sets
variantsGenerated tone variants
nearestColorsKnowledge graph neighbors
Download JSON Open API
Structured sections
Color systems
{
  "hex": "#A9A9A9",
  "rgb": [
    169,
    169,
    169
  ],
  "hsl": [
    0,
    0,
    66
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    0,
    0,
    34
  ],
  "luminance": 0.3968,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 8.94,
    "white": 2.35
  }
}
WCAG
{
  "AA": [
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A"
  ],
  "AAA": [
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A"
  ]
}
Harmonies
{
  "complementary": "#A8A8A8",
  "analogous": [
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#D6D6D6",
    "#A9A9A9",
    "#7A7A7A"
  ]
}
Variants
{
  "light": "#D6D6D6",
  "dark": "#7A7A7A",
  "saturated": "#BB9595",
  "desaturated": "#A8A8A8",
  "pastel": "#E8E8E8",
  "neon": "#FF7A7A"
}
Pairings
{
  "best": [
    "#000000",
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#A8A8A8"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#A8A8A8",
    "#D6D6D6"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#000000"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#D6D6D6",
    "#A8A8A8"
  ]
}
Knowledge graph
{
  "nearestColors": [
    "dark-grey",
    "silver-metallic",
    "galvanized-steel",
    "greige",
    "mushroom"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "dark-gray"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "dark-gray-vs-dark-grey",
    "dark-gray-vs-silver-metallic",
    "galvanized-steel-vs-dark-gray"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/muted"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/dark-gray",
    "/wcag/dark-gray",
    "/css/colors/dark-gray",
    "/hex/a9a9a9",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/muted"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/dark-gray"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/dark-grey",
      "/colors/silver-metallic",
      "/colors/galvanized-steel",
      "/colors/greige",
      "/colors/mushroom",
      "/compare/dark-gray-vs-dark-grey",
      "/compare/dark-gray-vs-silver-metallic",
      "/compare/galvanized-steel-vs-dark-gray",
      "/harmonies/dark-gray",
      "/wcag/dark-gray",
      "/css/colors/dark-gray",
      "/hex/a9a9a9",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  }
}
Full JSON dataset 
{
  "slug": "dark-gray",
  "name": "Dark Gray",
  "cssName": "darkgray",
  "hex": "#A9A9A9",
  "family": "gray",
  "temperature": "neutral",
  "tone": [
    "muted"
  ],
  "uses": [
    "web design",
    "CSS color systems",
    "UI prototyping"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "context dependent"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "web interfaces",
      "design systems",
      "technical color references"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "claims that require brand or cultural specificity"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [
    "darkgray"
  ],
  "sourceType": "standard",
  "confidence": "high",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.w3.org/TR/css-color-4/#named-colors",
  "origin": {
    "type": "css",
    "notes": "Standard CSS named color."
  },
  "reviewStatus": "auto",
  "editorialNotes": "Generated from CSS named color data and computed color-system properties.",
  "tags": [
    "gray",
    "neutral",
    "muted",
    "web-design",
    "css-color-systems",
    "ui-prototyping",
    "context-dependent"
  ],
  "popularity": 67,
  "rgb": [
    169,
    169,
    169
  ],
  "hsl": [
    0,
    0,
    66
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    0,
    0,
    34
  ],
  "luminance": 0.3968,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 8.94,
    "white": 2.35
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#A8A8A8",
    "analogous": [
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#D6D6D6",
      "#A9A9A9",
      "#7A7A7A"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#D6D6D6",
    "dark": "#7A7A7A",
    "saturated": "#BB9595",
    "desaturated": "#A8A8A8",
    "pastel": "#E8E8E8",
    "neon": "#FF7A7A"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#000000",
      "#1A1A1A"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#000000",
      "#1A1A1A"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-dark-gray: #A9A9A9;",
    "utility": ".bg-dark-gray { background-color: #A9A9A9; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-dark-gray { color: #A9A9A9; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "dark-grey",
    "silver-metallic",
    "galvanized-steel",
    "greige",
    "mushroom"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "dark-gray"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "dark-gray-vs-dark-grey",
    "dark-gray-vs-silver-metallic",
    "galvanized-steel-vs-dark-gray"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/gray",
    "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
    "/colors/by-tone/muted"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/dark-gray",
    "/wcag/dark-gray",
    "/css/colors/dark-gray",
    "/hex/a9a9a9",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/gray",
      "/colors/by-temperature/neutral",
      "/colors/by-tone/muted"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/dark-gray"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/dark-grey",
      "/colors/silver-metallic",
      "/colors/galvanized-steel",
      "/colors/greige",
      "/colors/mushroom",
      "/compare/dark-gray-vs-dark-grey",
      "/compare/dark-gray-vs-silver-metallic",
      "/compare/galvanized-steel-vs-dark-gray",
      "/harmonies/dark-gray",
      "/wcag/dark-gray",
      "/css/colors/dark-gray",
      "/hex/a9a9a9",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#000000",
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#A8A8A8"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#A8A8A8",
      "#D6D6D6"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#000000"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#D6D6D6",
      "#A8A8A8"
    ]
  }
}
Dataset manifest Version 1.0.0 Build hash published in manifest Canonical page

Similar Colors

Dark Grey#A9A9A9
Silver Metallic#AAA9AD
Galvanized Steel#A9B0B4
Greige#B0A999
Mushroom#B7A99A

Related Color Guides

Gray color familyBrowse named gray colors and compare nearby swatches.Neutral colorsExplore colors with neutral temperature behavior.Muted colorsFind colors with muted visual character.Dark Gray accessibilityCheck contrast and WCAG text options for #A9A9A9.Dark Gray CSS utilitiesUse Dark Gray in CSS variables and utility classes.#A9A9A9 HEX atlasOpen the permanent HEX atlas record for conversions and variants.Dark Gray paletteOpen the generated palette based on Dark Gray.Dark Gray harmoniesExplore complementary, analogous, triadic, and tetradic harmonies.