Smoke color guide

#F5F5F5
HEX
#F5F5F5
RGB
rgb(245, 245, 245)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 96%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 4%)

The standard 'off-white' surface for cards and secondary panels. Just enough separation from white to read as a layer.

Best for
Card and panel backgrounds.

Accessibility

Smoke text on whiteFail
Sample1.09:1
White text on smokeFail
Sample1.09:1
Smoke text on blackAAA
Sample19.26:1
Black text on smokeAAA
Sample19.26:1

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 smoke

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

Smoke color harmonies

Complementary
The opposite hue — highest contrast, best used sparingly.
#F5F5F5 #F5F5F5
Analogous
Neighbouring hues that sit together calmly.
#F5F5F5 #F5F5F5 #F5F5F5
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues — vivid but balanced.
#F5F5F5 #F5F5F5 #F5F5F5
Split complementary
Softer than complementary, with the same tension.
#F5F5F5 #F5F5F5 #F5F5F5

Smoke shades and tints

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

#F2F2F2#D9D9D9#BFBFBF#A6A6A6#8C8C8C#737373#595959#404040#262626#141414

Smoke FAQ

What is the hex code for smoke?

Smoke is #F5F5F5. In other formats that is rgb(245, 245, 245), hsl(0, 0%, 96%), and approximately cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 4%) for print.

What colors go with smoke?

Charcoal, Royal Blue, White all pair well with smoke. Card and panel backgrounds.

Is smoke accessible for text?

Not on white: smoke reaches only 1.09:1 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 smoke be black or white?

Use black text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #F5F5F5.

More neutral colors