Eigengrau
The dark grey seen by the eyes in complete darkness
Eigengrau is the deep grey shade people see when no light enters the eyes. Its name comes from German, meaning 'intrinsic grey', and it is lighter than true black because the human visual system responds more to contrast than to absolute darkness. The colour is not a pigment or dye, but a perceptual effect.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Eigengrau means 'intrinsic grey' in German
- It is the colour seen in total darkness
- Eigengrau is lighter than true black
- It results from random activity in the retina
What colour is Eigengrau?
Eigengrau is a very dark grey colour seen by most people when their eyes are open in total darkness. It is not true black, but a uniform, deep grey that fills the visual field when no light is present. This colour is sometimes called 'dark light' or 'brain gray'. Eigengrau is lighter than a black object seen in normal lighting because the human eye is more sensitive to differences in contrast than to absolute brightness.
Where does Eigengrau come from?
The word 'Eigengrau' comes from German, meaning 'intrinsic grey'. Another term, 'Eigenlicht', means 'intrinsic light' in both Dutch and German. The concept dates back to the nineteenth century, when scientists began to study the phenomenon. In scientific writing, it is sometimes called 'visual noise' or 'background adaptation', referring to the faint, ever-changing dots that make up the experience.
How Eigengrau is defined
Eigengrau is not made from any material. It is a visual effect produced by the human eye and brain when there is no external light. The effect is caused by random events in the retina, such as the thermal isomerization of rhodopsin, a light-sensitive molecule. These random events create signals that the brain interprets as a dim grey field.
Shades and relatives of Eigengrau
Eigengrau is sometimes confused with true black, but it is lighter. The night sky, for example, appears darker than Eigengrau because the stars provide contrast. Related terms include 'visual noise', which describes the tiny black and white dots seen in this state, and 'background adaptation', a scientific term for the phenomenon.
Colours that go with Eigengrau
Harmonies are worked out from the value #16161D. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Eigengrau
What colour is Eigengrau?
Eigengrau is a deep, uniform grey that people see when their eyes are open in complete darkness. It is lighter than true black.
Where does the name Eigengrau come from?
The name comes from German, meaning 'intrinsic grey'. It refers to the colour seen by the eyes in the absence of light.
Is Eigengrau a pigment or dye?
No, Eigengrau is not a pigment or dye. It is a perceptual colour created by the eye and brain when no light is present.
Why does Eigengrau look lighter than black?
Eigengrau appears lighter than a black object in normal light because the human visual system responds more to contrast than to absolute brightness.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Eigengrau", 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 grey family
All of grey
#708090
Slate gray
A bluish-grey colour named after the stone used in roofs and buildingNamed shade
Grey
Greyscale
Images made up only of shades of grey, from black to whiteNamed shade
Grey
Gray horse
A horse coat that turns lighter with age, often ending up nearly whiteNamed shade
#020D15
Gunmetal
A dark copper alloy once used for casting guns and now valued for its strength and finishNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
#777777
Gray card
A neutral grey reference card for setting exposure and colour balance in photographyNamed shade
#E5E4E2
Platinum
A pale metallic greyish-white named after the precious metal platinumNamed shade
#4C5866
Marengo
A dark grey or blue-grey shade, once a speckled fabric from northern ItalyNamed shade · 🇮🇹 Italy +2
#536878
Payne's grey
A blue-grey paint mixture first made by William Payne in the 1700sNamed shade