Gray color · CSS named color

Light Slate Gray Color Code: #778899

Light Slate Gray (#778899) is a medium gray with a faint azure tint shade: RGB 119, 136, 153, HSL 210°, 14%, 53%. Black text reads best on it (5.76:1 contrast).

Also spelled “Light Slate Grey”.

Light Slate Gray color values

HEX #778899
HEX (shorthand) #789
RGB rgb(119, 136, 153)
HSL hsl(210, 14%, 53%)
HSV 210, 22%, 60%
HWB hwb(210 47% 40%)
CMYK 22%, 11%, 0%, 40%
Decimal 7833753
CSS keyword lightslategray
53%HSL lightness (medium)
14%HSL saturation (muted)
210°Hue angle (azure)
0.238Relative luminance

CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.

What is Light Slate Gray?

Light Slate Gray is one of the named colors defined by the CSS Color specifications (keyword “lightslategray”), so every modern browser understands it without a hex code.

Its saturation is only 14%, so it behaves as a neutral, with 14% saturation (muted) and 53% lightness (medium). It is a cool color.

Compared with the other gray colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 67% of them and more saturated than 75% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.238, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage. The HEX code can also be written in the shorthand form #789.

Light Slate Gray counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 53% and its relative luminance is 0.238. Black text reads best on it (5.76:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Light Slate Gray

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Light Slate Gray
TextPreviewRatioAA normalAA largeAAA normalAAA large
White text Sample text 3.64:1 Limited Fail Pass Fail Fail
Black text Sample text 5.76:1 Good Pass Pass Fail Pass

Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.

Colors that go with Light Slate Gray

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.

#37414A#37414A
#566473#566473
#778899#778899
#A0ACB8#A0ACB8
#C9CFD6#C9CFD6

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 Light Slate Gray

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.

Where to use Light Slate Gray

  • Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.76:1 contrast with black)
  • Calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements
  • Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
  • Body text, borders and dividers
  • Secondary buttons and disabled states
  • Neutral page backgrounds

Light Slate Gray appears in these curated palettes: Cool Grays (Neutral Color Palettes).

Use Light Slate Gray in CSS

:root {
  --color-light-slate-gray: #778899;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-light-slate-gray);
  background-color: #778899;
  border: 2px solid #778899;
}

Questions about Light Slate Gray

What is the HEX code for Light Slate Gray?

Light Slate Gray is #778899. The shorthand form #789 is equivalent.

What is the RGB value of Light Slate Gray?

The RGB value of Light Slate Gray is 119, 136, 153: 119 red, 136 green and 153 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(119, 136, 153) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Light Slate Gray?

The HSL value of Light Slate Gray is 210°, 14%, 53% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(210, 14%, 53%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Light Slate Gray?

A standard conversion gives about C 22%, M 11%, Y 0%, K 40%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Light Slate Gray a light or dark color?

Light Slate Gray counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 53% and its relative luminance is 0.238. Black text reads best on it (5.76:1 contrast).

How does Light Slate Gray look with white text?

White text on Light Slate Gray has a contrast ratio of 3.64:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

How does Light Slate Gray look with black text?

Black text on Light Slate Gray has a contrast ratio of 5.76:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Light Slate Gray?

Warm Gray is its complementary color, and Cadet Blue sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Light Slate Gray be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.76:1 contrast with black); calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements; large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough.

How do I use Light Slate Gray in CSS?

Use color: #778899; for text, background-color: #778899; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-light-slate-gray: #778899; and reuse it with var(--color-light-slate-gray).

About this color page

CSS named color (W3C CSS Color Module). 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.