CSS color names · Grays

Dim Gray color: hex #696969, RGB and HSL

Dim Gray is the CSS keyword dimgray (also dimgrey), hex #696969, rgb(105, 105, 105), hsl(0, 0%, 41%). It is a dark neutral gray with no hue in the grays family. Below: the colors that go with it, its tints and shades, how it reads as text, and a complete interface palette built from it.

CSS name
dimgray, dimgrey
Hex
#696969
RGB
rgb(105, 105, 105)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 41%)
On white
5.49:1 — passes AA for body text
On black
3.83:1 — large text and UI only (3:1)
.example {
  color: dimgray;          /* keyword */
  color: #696969;          /* hex */
  color: rgb(105, 105, 105); /* rgb */
  color: hsl(0, 0%, 41%); /* hsl */
}

What colors go with dim gray

Dim Gray has no hue, so the wheel has nothing to rotate — every match below is the same neutral. That is the point of a neutral: it pairs with any saturated color, which is why grays and near-whites are the background, surface, text and border roles of an interface rather than its brand color. Pick one hue for actions and let dim gray carry everything else.

Complementary

The opposite hue, 180° away — the strongest contrast, best kept to one accent per screen.

Split-complementary

The two neighbors of the complement, at 150° and 210° — most of the contrast with less tension, and two accents instead of one.

Triadic

Two hues at 120° and 240° — three evenly spaced signals, the scheme charts and category colors want.

Analogous

The neighbors at −30° and +30° — calm and cohesive, with emphasis coming from weight and size rather than hue.

Tints and shades of dim gray

Tints add lightness toward white; shades remove it toward black. The hue and saturation stay fixed, so every step still reads as dim gray — these are the hover, pressed, disabled and surface variants a single brand color needs.

Tints (lighter)

#828282
#9b9b9b
#b4b4b4
#cdcdcd
#e6e6e6

Shades (darker)

#585858
#464646
#353535
#232323
#111111

A UI color palette built from dim gray

The eight semantic roles an interface actually uses, derived from dim gray as the primary with the split-complementary rule: secondary and accent rotate around the wheel, and the five neutrals take the hue at lightness steps tuned for light and dark mode. This is the same derivation the palette generator runs — open it there to change the rule, drag the anchors, or export the set as CSS variables.

Light mode
primary
#696969
secondary
#696969
accent
#696969
background
#fcfcfc
surface
#f5f5f5
text
#1a1a1a
muted
#737373
border
#e6e6e6
Dark mode
primary
#8c8c8c
secondary
#8c8c8c
accent
#8c8c8c
background
#141414
surface
#1f1f1f
text
#f5f5f5
muted
#a6a6a6
border
#383838

Using dim gray in an interface

Grays are text, borders and disabled states. The slate grays are the useful ones: a whisper of blue keeps them from looking like dirt against a colored primary. A semantic palette tints its grays toward the brand hue for the same reason. Whichever role dim gray takes, define it once as a token rather than repeating the keyword: the semantic palette guide covers the eight roles, and the guides to complementary, triadic and the other color schemes explain how to weight the matches above.

What is the hex code for Dim Gray?
Dim Gray is #696969. In CSS the keyword dimgray, the hex #696969, rgb(105, 105, 105) and hsl(0, 0%, 41%) all paint the same color. The keyword dimgrey resolves to the same color.
What colors go with Dim Gray?
Dim Gray has no hue, so it goes with everything: neutrals like this one are the background, text and border colors that let a single brand hue stand out. Pair it with one saturated color for actions and keep the rest of the interface in the same gray family.
What is the opposite of Dim Gray on the color wheel?
Dim Gray is achromatic — it sits at the center of the wheel rather than on it, so it has no opposite. Any saturated hue contrasts with it equally.
Can I use Dim Gray for text?
Dim Gray as text on white has a contrast ratio of 5.49:1, which passes WCAG AA for body text (4.5:1). On black it is 3.83:1, which fails for body text. It works as a text color on light surfaces.

Similar named colors

More grays

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