← Shades of gray

≈ Cosmic

#ADBCC4 is closest to Cosmic in our library. Cosmic (#ADBCC4) is a light, neutral gray with a cool-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 201° and a lightness of 79%. As a neutral it supports other colors rather than competing with them.

#ADBCC4≈ Cosmic
Conversion

What Cosmic looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Cosmic (#ADBCC4) is a light, neutral gray with a cool-leaning neutral feel. It has a hue angle of 201° and a lightness of 79%. As a neutral it supports other colors rather than competing with them.

Psychology

Gray is neutral and composed. It recedes, which is why it is the workhorse of interfaces: borders, secondary text and surfaces that let accents stand out. As a light shade, Cosmic feels airy and gentle.

Meaning

Gray suggests balance, restraint and professionalism, and sometimes dullness if nothing else adds life.

Why use this color

Cosmic is a flexible base. Dark text is easy to read on it, so it works as a surface, highlight or card background. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.

Applications
  • UI borders, text and surfaces
  • Technology and architecture
  • Minimal, balanced layouts
  • Backdrops for accent colors
History

Gray is one of the oldest color words in English. Payne's gray is named after the eighteenth century watercolorist William Payne.

Accessibility

White text on Cosmic has a contrast ratio of 1.95:1 (fails); black text has 10.76:1 (AAA). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning: pair it with text, an icon or a pattern.

ShadesMixed with black: darker and richer.
TintsMixed with white: lighter and softer.
TonesMixed with gray: quieter and less saturated.
HuesThe same lightness and strength, turned around the wheel.
TemperaturesPushed cooler on the left, warmer on the right.
50#F5F7F8100#E8ECEE200#D5DCE0300#ADBCC4400#97A4AB500#7A8990600#647178700#4F5A60800#3B4449900#2A3235950#161B1E
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.

#ADBCC4
Typical visionAs most people see it
#B8BBC4
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#B5B8C4
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#A7BEBE
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#BABABA
AchromatopsiaNo color, only light and dark

These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.

White textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
1.95:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
10.76:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#ADBCC4 Color — closest to Cosmic (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly