#555555Stone Cold (#555555) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 90°, lightness 0.45 and chroma 0. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #555555 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(85, 85, 85) |
| HSL | hsl(0, 0%, 33%) |
| HSV | hsv(0, 0%, 33%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 67%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(36.1 0 0) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.450 0.000 90) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Stone Cold shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.1), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#59534f — ΔE 1.1, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#585553 — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged#555555 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#555556 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Stone Cold in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.
Against white it measures 7.46:1 and against black 2.82:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid black text on this color entirely.
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.
#a7a7a7 · #828282 · #555555 · #3c3c3c · #1e1e1e · #040404
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.
#717d56 · #6b683a · #555555 · #5b3f14 · #4d2c10 · #3d1b0d
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.
#a0b59d · #759b70 · #657763 · #555555 · #47390b · #2b2000
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.
#beb7a5 · #9f9479 · #6372a1 · #555555 · #3c372b · #241c06
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eff2f9 · #b1aea3 · #6c6e73 · #555555 · #413d32 · #010102
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 · #555555 · #222222 · #030303 · #e7c04d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#edf2ff · #9fadd5 · #5d6c9b · #555555 · #303b5f · #0b0500
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#edf2ff · #8cb4d0 · #756594 · #555555 · #18415b · #020006
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e1f6fa · #81b9c3 · #875e83 · #555555 · #50304d · #000305
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e3f7f2 · #84bbaf · #5d6c9b · #555555 · #582e3c · #000008
#717171 · #8e8e8e · #aaaaaa · #c6c6c6 · #e3e3e3
#474747 · #393939 · #2b2b2b · #1c1c1c · #0e0e0e
Its moderate chroma lets it work in mid-size areas — upholstery, secondary UI surfaces, editorial blocks — without overwhelming neighbors.