Metallic Silver color guide

#AAA9AD
HEX
#AAA9AD
RGB
rgb(170, 169, 173)
HSL
hsl(255, 2%, 67%)
CMYK
cmyk(2%, 2%, 0%, 32%)

A grey with a very slight cool cast. Indistinguishable from a neutral until a highlight is added.

Best for
Technical and industrial palettes.

Accessibility

Metallic Silver text on whiteFail
Sample2.34:1
White text on metallic silverFail
Sample2.34:1
Metallic Silver text on blackAAA
Sample8.99:1
Black text on metallic silverAAA
Sample8.99:1

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 metallic silver

Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.

Metallic Silver color harmonies

Complementary
The opposite hue — highest contrast, best used sparingly.
#AAA9AD #ACADA9
Analogous
Neighbouring hues that sit together calmly.
#A9AAAD #AAA9AD #ACA9AD
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues — vivid but balanced.
#AAA9AD #ADAAA9 #A9ADAA
Split complementary
Softer than complementary, with the same tension.
#AAA9AD #ADACA9 #AAADA9

Metallic Silver shades and tints

The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.

#F2F2F3#D8D8DA#BFBEC1#A5A4A8#8B8A8F#727075#58575B#3F3E41#262527#141415

Metallic Silver FAQ

What is the hex code for metallic silver?

Metallic Silver is #AAA9AD. In other formats that is rgb(170, 169, 173), hsl(255, 2%, 67%), and approximately cmyk(2%, 2%, 0%, 32%) for print.

What colors go with metallic silver?

Charcoal, Royal Blue, White all pair well with metallic silver. Technical and industrial palettes.

Is metallic silver accessible for text?

Not on white: metallic silver reaches only 2.34:1 there, below the 4.5:1 WCAG AA threshold. Use it as a background with black text on top, or reserve it for large display type.

Should text on metallic silver be black or white?

Use black text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #AAA9AD.

More metallic colors