Gainsboro Color
Gainsboro is a gray color with hex code #DCDCDC. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with gainsboro, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Gainsboro Color Values
What Does Gainsboro Mean?
Gainsboro 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. As a lighter shade, Gainsboro reads as airy and understated, comfortable working in backgrounds and across big surfaces.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Gainsboro is classified as a white (nearest centroid: purplish white, #E8E3E5).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Gainsboro
Gainsboro and #DBDBDB 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 — #DBDBDB and #DBDBDB, which sit beside gainsboro on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair gainsboro with triadic partners #DBDBDB and #DBDBDB. 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
- Iron —
#D4D7D9(Delta E 2) - Bon Jour —
#E5E0E1(Delta E 3) - Swiss Coffee —
#DDD6D5(Delta E 3) - LightGray —
#D3D3D3(Delta E 3) - Anti-Flash White —
#D2D4D6(Delta E 3)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #DCDCDC; }
.background { background-color: #DCDCDC; }
.border { border: 2px solid #DCDCDC; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #DCDCDC40; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for gainsboro?
Gainsboro has the hex code #DCDCDC. In RGB notation it is rgb(220, 220, 220), in HSL it is hsl(0, 0%, 86%), and its OKLCH value is 0.894, 0, 89.9.
What does the color gainsboro mean?
Gray-family colors like gainsboro carry distinct psychological associations. Gainsboro 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. As a lighter shade, Gainsboro reads as airy and understated, comfortable working in backgrounds and across big surfaces.
What colors go with gainsboro?
Gainsboro has three easy routes: its complement #DBDBDB for punch, its neighbors #DBDBDB and #DBDBDB for something calmer, or triadic partners #DBDBDB and #DBDBDB when you want energy.
Is gainsboro a standard web color?
Yes — Gainsboro is part of the CSS named colors specification, so you can use it directly in CSS as #DCDCDC or with the keyword form where supported.
How do I make gainsboro lighter or darker?
To lighten gainsboro, 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 #FAFAFA (lightest tint) to #242424 (darkest shade).
About Gainsboro
Gainsboro is classified as a White in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Gray hue family. It has The color is recognized by CSS3, X11, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #DCDCDC to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.