#404040 Color

#404040 is rgb(64, 64, 64) in RGB, hsl(0, 0%, 25%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 75%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Onyx (#353839), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 4.16. White text is the more readable choice on this background.

#404040

HEX#404040

RGBrgb(64, 64, 64)

HSLhsl(0, 0%, 25%)

HSVhsv(0, 0%, 25%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 75%)

OKLCHoklch(37.1% 0 0)

LABlab(27.09% -0.00 0.00)

LCHlch(27.09% 0.00 0.00)

What #404040 Is Called

Most hex codes have no name: there are 16.7 million of them and a few thousand registered names. These are the named colors nearest to #404040, ordered by CIE76 distance in CIELAB. Anything under about ΔE 2 is a difference most people cannot see.

Onyx#353839ΔE 4.16 Black Olive#3B3C36ΔE 4.35 Jet#343434ΔE 5.39 Outer Space#414A4CΔE 5.55 Xumo#413639ΔE 6.35 Graphite#41424CΔE 6.45

Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every gray in the library.

#404040 Channel Values

How #404040 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 64 · G 64 · B 64	8-bit channels as sent to the display
HSL	H 0° · S 0% · L 25%	Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants
HSV	H 0° · S 0% · V 25%	Matches the picker in most design tools
CMYK	C 0% · M 0% · Y 0% · K 75%	Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing
Luminance	10.37:1 vs white · 2.03:1 vs black	WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios

Text Contrast & Accessibility

WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #404040 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.

TextWhite text10.37:1AA normal AA large AAA normal

Fails AABlack text2.03:1AA normal AA large AAA normal

Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #404040 in the contrast checker.

Colors That Go With #404040

Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #404040; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.

Base

Complementary

Analogous

Analogous

Triadic

Triadic

Split comp.

Split comp.

Tints & Shades of #404040

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.

Tints

Shades

Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #404040.

How #404040 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.

Typical#404040

Protanopia#404040

Protanomaly#404040

Deuteranopia#404040

Deuteranomaly#404040

Tritanopia#404040

Tritanomaly#404040

Achromatopsia#404040

Test a full palette in the color blindness simulator.

Using #404040 in Code

Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.

CSS custom property--color-404040: #404040;

CSS backgroundbackground-color: #404040;

Tailwind configcolors: { 'color-404040': '#404040' }

SwiftUIColor(red: 0.251, green: 0.251, blue: 0.251)

Android XML<color name="color_404040">#404040</color>

SVG fillfill="#404040"

More Gray Colors

#404040 sits in the gray family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.

413639 3f3f46 41424c 3d3d3d 414a4c 3b3c36 43494e 383838 44403b 353839 454545 343434 4d4d4d 555d50 666666 737373 807473 8a7f80 989898 a9a9a9 b5b5b5 c4c4c4 d6d3d1 2b2b2b

#404040 Frequently Asked Questions

What color is #404040?

#404040 is a dark gray — rgb(64, 64, 64) in RGB and hsl(0, 0%, 25%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Onyx (#353839), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 4.16.

What is the RGB value of #404040?

#404040 is rgb(64, 64, 64) — red 64, green 64, and blue 64 on the 0-255 scale.

What is the CMYK value of #404040?

#404040 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 75%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.

Should text on #404040 be black or white?

White text is the more readable choice. #404040 scores 10.37:1 against white and 2.03:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.

Can I write #404040 as a CSS color keyword?

No. #404040 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 13.5, which is visibly different.

Open #404040 in a Tool

Hex to RGB Hex to HSL Hex to CMYK Hex to OKLCH Hex to Pantone Build a palette Make a gradient

Keep exploring: every gray in the color library, the guide to shades of gray, or the full color library.