Ecru
A pale, greyish yellow once named for unbleached linen
Ecru is a pale, greyish yellow shade, once used for the colour of raw, unbleached linen and sometimes silk. Over time, its meaning has shifted to a darker tone, but it remains close to sand and is often grouped with beige.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Ecru was first used for the colour of unbleached linen.
- Its name comes from the French word for 'raw, unbleached'.
- Ecru is now defined as a greyish yellow, paler than old ivory.
- Its colour coordinates match those of sand.
What colour is Ecru?
Ecru is a soft, pale colour that sits between yellow and grey, often described as cream or the shade of unbleached linen. It is lighter and more muted than chamois or old ivory, and is sometimes thought of as a type of beige. Its appearance is close to the colour of sand, with a subtle greenish cast that sets it apart from warmer yellows.
Where does Ecru come from?
The word 'ecru' comes from French, where it means 'raw' or 'unbleached', referring to the natural colour of linen before it is treated. In English, it first described the shade of unbleached linen and silk. In the 19th century, its meaning narrowed to a specific greyish yellow, paler and greener than some similar shades.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Ecru
Ecru has been grouped with beige, but is now defined more precisely. It is paler and greener than chamois or old ivory. Its colour coordinates are identical to sand, a shade first named in English in 1627. Some dictionaries still use the older, lighter definition based on unbleached linen.
Colours that go with Ecru
Harmonies are worked out from the value #C2B280. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Ecru
What colour is ecru?
Ecru is a pale, greyish yellow shade, similar to the colour of unbleached linen or sand.
Where does the name 'ecru' come from?
The name comes from the French word 'écru', meaning 'raw' or 'unbleached', originally describing the colour of untreated linen.
Is ecru the same as beige?
Ecru was once considered a type of beige, but it is now defined as a paler, greener, and more greyish yellow.
Has the meaning of ecru changed over time?
Yes, it originally meant the colour of unbleached linen, but now refers to a darker, more defined greyish yellow.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Ecru", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
More of the yellow family
All of yellow
Yellow
Turmeric
A golden yellow dye and spice from the rhizome of a tropical plantColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +5
Yellow
Orpiment
A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarityPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
#FFFDD0
Cream
A soft yellow-white named after the top layer of milkNamed shade
#E3A857
Indian Yellow
A clear, glowing orange-yellow pigment once made in India from cow urinePigment · 🇮🇳 India
#FADA5E
Naples yellow
A historic synthetic yellow pigment once prized by painters and pottersPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +1
#FFF700
Lemon
A vivid yellow named for the colour of lemon fruitNamed shade
#FFA700
Chrome yellow
A bright yellow pigment made from lead chromate, once popular in art and industryPigment
#006B3C
Cadmium pigments
A family of strong yellow, orange, red and green pigments made from cadmium compoundsPigment