Nero `#252525`

Nero (#252525) is a near-black neutral with an OKLCH hue of 90°, lightness 0.26 and chroma 0. In practice it behaves as a grounding tone — suited to text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces.

Color values

HEX	`#252525`
RGB	`rgb(37, 37, 37)`
HSL	`hsl(0, 0%, 15%)`
HSV	`hsv(0, 0%, 15%)`
CMYK	`cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 85%)`
CIE Lab	`lab(14.7 0 0)`
OKLCH	`oklch(0.264 0.000 90)`

How Nero behaves under real light

Under warm 2700K interior light Nero is virtually unchanged; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.6), so it is a lighting-stable choice.

Warm interior (2700K incandescent / warm LED): → #272422 — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged
Neutral LED (4000K task and retail lighting): → #272524 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchanged
Daylight (6500K standard daylight (reference)): → #252525 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged
Blue-sky shade (cool daylight (~10000K proxy)): → #252526 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchanged

Test Nero in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.

Contrast & accessibility

Against white it measures 15.33:1 and against black 1.37:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid black text on this color entirely.

Colors that go with Nero

Tonal

One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.

#9a9a9a · #757575 · #525252 · #252525 · #141414 · #010101

Analogous

The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.

#528170 · #486f54 · #425c38 · #3d491d · #393600 · #252525

Shifted

The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.

#a4baa1 · #a29269 · #5c8158 · #67582d · #334331 · #252525

Contrast

One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.

#c9c2b0 · #a99f86 · #887e63 · #495784 · #252525 · #100c03

Quiet Support

The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.

#eff2f9 · #b4b0a6 · #717378 · #3f3b31 · #252525 · #0e1016

Bright Accent

This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.

#f2f2f2 · #c9c9c9 · #9c9c9c · #252525 · #030303 · #e7c04d

Complementary

The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.

#edf2ff · #a1afd8 · #6271a0 · #2f3a5d · #252525 · #170f00

Split-complementary

The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.

#edf2ff · #8eb6d3 · #7a6999 · #174059 · #252525 · #130c1e

Triadic

Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.

#e1f6fa · #83bbc6 · #8d6389 · #4e2f4c · #252525 · #001418

Tetradic

Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.

#e3f7f2 · #86bdb2 · #6271a0 · #562d3a · #252525 · #0a0f21

Tints, shades & muted variants

Tints

#494949 · #6e6e6e · #929292 · #b6b6b6 · #dbdbdb

Shades

#1f1f1f · #191919 · #131313 · #0c0c0c · #060606

Using Nero

As a deep tone it works for grounding elements — text, outlines, and shadowed surfaces — rather than open fields.