Charcoal color guide
A dark grey with a blue undertone. Softer than black for body text and the standard dark surface in most modern systems.
- Best for
- Body text and dark UI surfaces.
Accessibility
Ratios follow WCAG 2.1. AA needs 4.5:1 for body text, AAA needs 7:1; large text passes AA at 3:1.
Colors that go with charcoal
Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.
Charcoal color harmonies
Charcoal shades and tints
The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.
Charcoal FAQ
What is the hex code for charcoal?
Charcoal is #36454F. In other formats that is rgb(54, 69, 79), hsl(204, 19%, 26%), and approximately cmyk(32%, 13%, 0%, 69%) for print.
What colors go with charcoal?
White, Coral, Gold all pair well with charcoal. Body text and dark UI surfaces.
Is charcoal accessible for text?
Yes — charcoal text on white reaches 9.9:1, which passes WCAG AA for body text.
Should text on charcoal be black or white?
Use white text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #36454F.