Gray color · XKCD survey name
Charcoal Color Code: #343837
Charcoal is a dark gray color with the hexadecimal value #343837. In RGB it is 52, 56, 55 and in HSL it is 165°, 4%, 21%. White text reads comfortably on it (11.88:1 contrast).
Charcoal color values
#343837
rgb(52, 56, 55)
hsl(165, 4%, 21%)
165, 7%, 22%
hwb(165 20% 78%)
7%, 0%, 2%, 78%
3422263
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Charcoal?
“Charcoal” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.
Its saturation is only 4%, so it behaves as a neutral, with 4% saturation (nearly neutral) and 21% lightness (dark). It has a neutral temperature.
Compared with the other gray colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 0% of them and more saturated than 29% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.038, which makes it a dark color. That is below the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so white text has the advantage.
Charcoal counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 21% and its relative luminance is 0.038. White text reads comfortably on it (11.88:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Charcoal
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 11.88:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Black text | Sample text | 1.76:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Charcoal
Complementary color
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.
Analogous colors
Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.
Triadic colors
A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.
Split-complementary colors
Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.
Tetradic colors
A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.
Monochromatic variants
Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.
A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.
Tints and shades of Charcoal
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
Darker shades (mixed with black)
Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.
Similar colors
Where to use Charcoal
- Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (11.88:1 contrast)
- Dark-mode surfaces, headers and footers
- Calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements
- Tables, cards and dashboards
- Body text, borders and dividers
- Secondary buttons and disabled states
Use Charcoal in CSS
:root {
--color-charcoal: #343837;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-charcoal);
background-color: #343837;
border: 2px solid #343837;
}Questions about Charcoal
What is the HEX code for Charcoal?
Charcoal is #343837.
What is the RGB value of Charcoal?
The RGB value of Charcoal is 52, 56, 55: 52 red, 56 green and 55 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(52, 56, 55) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Charcoal?
The HSL value of Charcoal is 165°, 4%, 21% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(165, 4%, 21%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Charcoal?
A standard conversion gives about C 7%, M 0%, Y 2%, K 78%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Charcoal a light or dark color?
Charcoal counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 21% and its relative luminance is 0.038. White text reads comfortably on it (11.88:1 contrast).
How does Charcoal look with white text?
White text on Charcoal has a contrast ratio of 11.88:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
How does Charcoal look with black text?
Black text on Charcoal has a contrast ratio of 1.76:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
What colors go well with Charcoal?
Charcoal Gray is its complementary color, and Charcoal Gray sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Charcoal be used?
It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (11.88:1 contrast); dark-mode surfaces, headers and footers; calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements.
How do I use Charcoal in CSS?
Use color: #343837; for text, background-color: #343837; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-charcoal: #343837; and reuse it with var(--color-charcoal).
About this color page
Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.