DarkGray Color
DarkGray is a gray color with hex code #A9A9A9. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with darkgray, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
DarkGray Color Values
What Does DarkGray Mean?
DarkGray belongs to the gray family of colors. Gray settles arguments between colors. Practical, quiet, and hard to date-stamp, it lets brighter hues carry the personality while providing structure. Warm grays cozy a room up; cool grays keep it businesslike. DarkGray sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, DarkGray is classified as a gray (nearest centroid: light gray, #B9B8B5). It is also known as DarkGrey.
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With DarkGray
DarkGray and #A8A8A8 are complements, parked opposite each other on the wheel. Together they hit maximum contrast, so a rough 70/30 split keeps the pairing from shouting.
Analogous neighbors — #A8A8A8 and #A8A8A8, which sit beside darkgray on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair darkgray with triadic partners #A8A8A8 and #A8A8A8. All three sit evenly spaced around the wheel, so the scheme stays lively without clashing.
Build and test these combinations in our Color Wheel Tool or check text readability with the Contrast Checker.
Tints and Shades
Tints (lighter)
Shades (darker)
Similar Colors
- Silver Chalice —
#ACACAC(Delta E 1) - Shady Lady —
#AAA5A9(Delta E 3) - Nobel —
#B7B1B1(Delta E 4) - Star Dust —
#9F9F9C(Delta E 4) - Delta —
#A4A49D(Delta E 4)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #A9A9A9; }
.background { background-color: #A9A9A9; }
.border { border: 2px solid #A9A9A9; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #A9A9A940; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for darkgray?
DarkGray has the hex code #A9A9A9. In RGB notation it is rgb(169, 169, 169), in HSL it is hsl(0, 0%, 66%), and its OKLCH value is 0.735, 0, 89.9.
What does the color darkgray mean?
Gray-family colors like darkgray carry distinct psychological associations. DarkGray belongs to the gray family of colors. Gray settles arguments between colors. Practical, quiet, and hard to date-stamp, it lets brighter hues carry the personality while providing structure. Warm grays cozy a room up; cool grays keep it businesslike. DarkGray sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
What colors go with darkgray?
DarkGray has three easy routes: its complement #A8A8A8 for punch, its neighbors #A8A8A8 and #A8A8A8 for something calmer, or triadic partners #A8A8A8 and #A8A8A8 when you want energy.
Is darkgray a standard web color?
Yes — DarkGray is part of the CSS named colors specification, so you can use it directly in CSS as #A9A9A9 or with the keyword form where supported.
How do I make darkgray lighter or darker?
To lighten darkgray, add white to create tints; to darken it, add black to create shades. The tints and shades table above shows five computed steps of each, from #F0F0F0 (lightest tint) to #1C1C1C (darkest shade).
About DarkGray
DarkGray is classified as a Gray in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Gray hue family. It has alternative names including DarkGrey. The color is recognized by CSS3, X11.
Use our Color Converter to convert #A9A9A9 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.