About Gainsboro
Gainsboro (gainsboro) is a very light, muted gray with the hex code #dcdcdc, or rgb(220, 220, 220). In HSL it sits at a hue of 0°, 0% saturation and 86% lightness. It is one of the 148 named colors every browser understands, so you can write color: gainsboro; instead of the hex value.
Using Gainsboro for text and backgrounds
| Pairing | Contrast ratio | WCAG |
|---|---|---|
| Gainsboro text on white | 1.37 : 1 | fails |
| Gainsboro text on black | 15.31 : 1 | AAA |
On a gainsboro background, use black text (15.31 : 1). WCAG asks for at least 4.5 : 1 for body text and 3 : 1 for large text. Check other pairs with the Contrast Checker.
CSS
.element {
color: gainsboro; /* or #dcdcdc */
background-color: #dcdcdc;
border: 1px solid rgb(220 220 220 / 50%);
}Similar named colors
Light Gray (#d3d3d3), Thistle (#d8bfd8), Lavender (#e6e6fa), Antique White (#faebd7), Beige (#f5f5dc), Misty Rose (#ffe4e1).
Color Name FinderPaste a HEX code to get its closest human-readable name and clean token names for your CSS, SCSS, JavaScript or Tailwind config.
Open the tool Frequently asked questions
What is the hex code for gainsboro?
#dcdcdc — that is rgb(220, 220, 220) and hsl(0, 0%, 86%). In CSS you can also just write gainsboro.
Is gainsboro text readable on white?
Its contrast ratio on white is 1.37 : 1, which fails WCAG — use it for decoration or on a dark background instead.
What colors go well with gainsboro?
Gainsboro is a neutral, so it pairs with almost any color; use it for backgrounds, borders and text around a stronger accent.