#686663
- RGB
- 104, 102, 99
- Brightness
- 102.3
- HSL (°,%,%)
- 36°, 2%, 40%
- HSV V %
- 41%
- Lab
- 43.3, 0.2, 2.0
- CMYK (%)
- 0%, 2%, 5%, 59%
- PNG size
- 5.8 KB
- Tone / Feel
- dark, muted warm hue
Recommended text: White (5.72:1 — AA / AAA (large))
Color Profile: #686663
Common Name: Graphite Charcoal
RGB: 104, 102, 99
HSL: ~33° hue, ~2% saturation, ~40% lightness
Contrast vs White: 7.0:1 (Pass AA, AAA)
Contrast vs Black: 5.5:1 (Pass AA)
Mood & Atmosphere:
#686663 brings an industrial stillness — like dusk settling over steel and asphalt. It’s not loud, not shy — it just *is*, with the confident murmur of a well-worn, purposeful tone. A favorite in design studios and modernist corners, it's the quiet rebel of the grayscale spectrum.
Notable Color Matches:
- Kelly Moore – Dark Shadows (#686664) (ΔE=0.60) — Practically identical. A near clone.
- Benjamin Moore – Kendall Charcoal (#686763) (ΔE=0.79) — A beloved designer go-to for interior contrasts.
- Behr – Mined Coal (#676562) (ΔE=0.41) — Dark, grounded, virtually indistinguishable to the untrained eye.
- NCS – S 6500-N (#666665) (ΔE=1.46) — A whisper off, still within striking distance.
- BS2660 – Charcoal (#676660) (ΔE=1.85) — Official British Standard match, notable for architectural use.
• Why Designers Use It.
Designers lean into #686663 for its balanced neutrality. It plays well across brutalist architecture, luxury product packaging, UX wireframes, and fashion editorials alike. It's gritty without being dirty, stable without being boring. In interior design, it often serves as a grounding accent — pairing smoothly with both organic textures like wood or leather, and synthetic surfaces like concrete, vinyl, or brushed steel.
The tone is particularly prominent in European and Australian architectural palettes — echoed in standards like BS2660 and AS2700. This color likely draws roots from industrial materials: oxidized iron, machine casings, old asphalt, perhaps even volcanic rock or weathered lead. It appears frequently in automotive design (especially SUVs, off-road trims), tech gadgets (phones, laptops), and safety-adjacent gear where visual noise must be low. It’s also common in military and tactical gear color systems — low-glare, practical, and unflashy.
Despite being a neutral, it’s not invisible. Paired with whites, warm woods, or brass, it becomes moody and thoughtful. Paired with color — mustard, teal, maroon — it hums like background jazz in a minimalist gallery.