Steel Gray
A cool, sophisticated mid-tone industrial gray
Steel Gray is a muted, desaturated blue with strong ashy undertones. It functions perfectly as a reliable neutral in corporate branding and tech interfaces where professionalism matters. Because it offers high contrast for readable text, it works well as a background color for dense data dashboards. The hex code for Steel Gray is #71797e.
About Steel Gray
Cloud cover an hour before the rain arrives
What does steel gray mean?
Like most gray blues, it often stands for steadiness and quiet judgment. Its medium lightness and low saturation give it a settled, muted weight.
Where you see steel gray
- storm clouds
- heather gray sweatshirts
- denim jackets
- concrete sidewalks
- brushed nickel faucets
- pencil graphite
What it works for
It works well as a page background, an interface surface, or a wall color that lets brighter accents do the talking.
What colors go with steel gray?
Cream #fffdd0The warm cream softens the cool gray and keeps large areas from feeling flat.Burnt Orange #cc5500Its dusty saturation gives burnt orange room to glow without clashing.Sage Green #9caf88Both colors are muted, so the pairing reads gentle and even.Mustard Yellow #e1ad01Mustard's heat cuts through the cool ash and lifts the whole palette.
Questions about Steel Gray
What is the hex code for Steel Gray?
Steel Gray is #71797e. In RGB that is rgb(113, 121, 126), in HSL hsl(203, 5%, 47%) and in CMYK 10%, 4%, 0%, 51%.
Does Steel Gray #71797e read as a warm or cool color?
Steel Gray is distinctly cool-toned because of its underlying blue saturation. This temperature makes it an excellent choice for technology-focused interfaces or financial data tools where you want to project a sense of stability, logic, and calm, rather than warmth.
Is Steel Gray readable on white or black?
Steel Gray has a 4.43:1 contrast ratio on white and 4.73:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it works only for large text (24px, or 18.5px bold) and on black it works for body text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.