Slate gray
A bluish-grey colour named after the stone used in roofs and building
Slate gray is a medium grey with a hint of blue, named after the slate stone often used in construction. The colour sits between purple and green on the colour wheel and has been used to describe birds and objects since the early 1700s.
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- Slate gray is named after the colour of slate stone.
- It has a slight blue tone, making it cooler than standard grey.
- The colour was first named in English in 1705.
- Used for supercomputers and some smartphone models.
- Appears in military aircraft camouflage schemes.
What colour is Slate gray?
Slate gray is a medium shade of grey with a subtle blue cast, echoing the look of natural slate stone. It is not a pure grey, as the blue tint gives it a cooler, slightly muted appearance. This colour is often chosen for its understated and neutral quality, setting it apart from warmer or more yellowish greys.
Where does Slate gray come from?
The name comes from slate, a type of rock commonly used in roofing and building. The colour is meant to match the typical appearance of this stone. English speakers began using 'slate gray' as a colour term in the early eighteenth century.
How Slate gray is defined
On digital screens, slate gray is defined by the hex code #708090. In colour mixing, it can be created by blending equal parts of purple and green pigments, resulting in a tertiary shade.
Where Slate gray is used
Slate gray appears in technology, such as the outer shells of some supercomputers and certain models of smartphones and tablets. In transport, it marks the S service on the New York City Subway. The British Fleet Air Arm used a dark slate gray paint on aircraft during World War Two.
Shades and relatives of Slate gray
There are lighter and darker versions of slate gray, such as 'light slate gray' and 'dark slate gray', both used in web design. The term 'slaty' is also used to describe the colour of some birds. Slate gray is sometimes compared to similar shades like cadet gray.
Colours that go with Slate gray
Harmonies are worked out from the value #708090. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Slate gray
What colour is slate gray?
Slate gray is a medium grey with a bluish tint, similar to the colour of slate stone used in building.
Where does the name slate gray come from?
The name comes from slate, a rock often used in roofing and construction, whose average colour the shade matches.
How is slate gray made for screens?
On screens, slate gray is shown with the hex code #708090, which mixes blue and grey tones.
Where is slate gray used?
It is used in technology products, subway signage, and was used in military aircraft paint schemes.
Are there other shades related to slate gray?
Yes, lighter and darker versions exist, such as light slate gray and dark slate gray, especially in web design.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Slate gray", 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.
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