Gray #808080

Gray sits between black and white, and people often read it the same way: neutral, balanced and noncommittal. Depending on context, it can suggest maturity and practicality or dullness and gloom. Some people find it soothing, while others find it draining, especially on gloomy days.

Much of its meaning comes from the world around us. Gray is the color of rain clouds, concrete, city streets and aging hair, which gives it ties to both wisdom and melancholy. The phrase 'gray area' makes it a color of uncertainty and compromise. Gray uniforms, gray stone buildings and gray-haired elders add to its serious tone.

In fashion and business it reads as sober and professional. The gray suit has long been standard office wear in many countries. In menswear, gray flannel and gray tweed are long-standing classics.

Middle gray is useful for secondary text, icons, borders and placeholder shapes. As a background, it gives only moderate contrast to both black and white text, so neither reads especially crisply. As a text color on white, it suits large labels but may be too faint for small captions; check the contrast results on this page first.

In branding, gray rarely leads but makes dependable support for saturated colors. In interiors and fashion, mid-gray goes with almost everything, from yellow to burgundy.