Grey vs Slate
Can you tell them apart?
#808080
#708090
Perceptual difference (ΔE): 10.8 — similar.
Standard grey and slate grey are both muted neutrals, but slate pulls in a subtle blue undertone that grey lacks entirely. Middle grey is a pure achromatic neutral — equal red, green, and blue — with no directional lean whatsoever. Slate, named after the grey-blue metamorphic rock used for roofing and chalkboards, has just enough blue-green in its makeup to read as cool rather than completely neutral. Under artificial warm light that difference can shrink, but in natural daylight slate has a distinctly colder, moodier character.
How to tell them apart
Slate has a blue cast that makes it feel cool and slightly stormy; neutral grey is warmer by comparison. Look closely — slate will have slightly more blue in it. If it reminds you of a winter sky or a slate roof, it's slate; if it's simply dark and neutral, it's grey.
Color values
| HEX | #808080 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 128, 128, 128 |
| HSL | 0°, 0%, 50% |
| CMYK | 0, 0, 0, 50 |
| HEX | #708090 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 112, 128, 144 |
| HSL | 210°, 13%, 50% |
| CMYK | 22, 11, 0, 44 |
FAQ
- Is slate grey the same as grey?
- Not exactly. Slate grey has a blue-green undertone while neutral grey has no colour lean at all.
- Is slate warmer or cooler than grey?
- Cooler. The blue undertone in slate makes it feel colder than neutral middle grey.