Charcoal (#36454F)
The hex code for Charcoal is #36454F. It is rgb(54, 69, 79) in RGB, hsl(204, 19%, 26%) in HSL, and about cmyk(32%, 13%, 0%, 69%) in CMYK — a dark blue. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#36454Frgb(54, 69, 79)hsl(204, 19%, 26%)hsv(204, 32%, 31%)cmyk(32%, 13%, 0%, 69%)oklch(38.1% 0.026 237.5)lab(28.28% -4.16 -8.11)lch(28.28% 9.12 242.86)Colors Closest to Charcoal
Charcoal is a registered color name. These are the named colors nearest to it, measured as CIE76 distance in CIELAB — a perceptual scale, so the ordering matches what the eye sees rather than how close the raw RGB numbers happen to sit.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every blue in the library.
#36454F Channel Values
How Charcoal breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.
| Model | Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | R 54 · G 69 · B 79 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 204° · S 19% · L 26% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 204° · S 32% · V 31% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 32% · M 13% · Y 0% · K 69% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 9.9:1 vs white · 2.12:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Charcoal background. AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Contrast is one check, not a full accessibility review.
Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #36454F in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With Charcoal
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Charcoal; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.
Tints & Shades of Charcoal
Lighter tints and darker shades built by moving the lightness channel while holding hue and saturation, which is what you want for hover states, backgrounds, and text variants.
Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #36454F.
How Charcoal Looks with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulated with the Viénot, Brettel & Mollon LMS projection model. Anomalous types are rendered as partial versions of the matching dichromacy, which is an approximation rather than a per-person clinical model.
#36454F#43434F#3E444F#40404F#3D424F#344646#35464A#434343Using #36454F in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--charcoal: #36454F;background-color: #36454F;colors: { 'charcoal': '#36454F' }Color(red: 0.212, green: 0.271, blue: 0.310)<color name="charcoal">#36454F</color>fill="#36454F"More Blue Colors
Charcoal sits in the blue family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#36454F Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for Charcoal?
The hex code for Charcoal is #36454F. That is rgb(54, 69, 79) in RGB, hsl(204, 19%, 26%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(32%, 13%, 0%, 69%) in CMYK.
What is the RGB value of #36454F?
#36454F is rgb(54, 69, 79) — red 54, green 69, and blue 79 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #36454F?
#36454F converts to approximately cmyk(32%, 13%, 0%, 69%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #36454F be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #36454F scores 9.9:1 against white and 2.12:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #36454F as a CSS color keyword?
No. #36454F is not one of the CSS color keywords, so it has to be written as a hex, rgb() or hsl() value. The closest keyword is darkslategray (#2F4F4F) at a CIE76 distance of 9.55, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open Charcoal in a Tool
Keep exploring: every blue in the color library, the guide to shades of blue, or the full color library.