RAL Classic Colors

RAL Classic colors: codes, names and approximate HEX values

This page is a searchable chart of RAL Classic colors. Each shade shows its four-digit RAL code, official English name and an approximate sRGB HEX value you can copy. You can also find the closest RAL color to any HEX, filter by group and export the list. 66Colorful is free and needs no signup.

RAL Classic is a numbered set of standard paint and powder-coat colors. According to Wikipedia's article on the RAL colour standard, it is administered by the German RAL gGmbH and mainly used for varnish, powder coating and plastics. Architects, fabricators and sign makers quote a RAL number so everyone orders the same color.

The idea is older than screens. The same Wikipedia article notes that the system began in 1927 as a collection of forty colors, so buyers and manufacturers could stop swapping physical samples and refer to numbers. Today the Classic range runs into the low hundreds of shades, and RAL gGmbH remains the source for the official codes and names.

How to use the RAL Classic color chart

You can find a shade in seconds by typing a code, a name or a HEX value, then copying the result with one click.

1. Type a RAL number such as 5012, a name such as traffic red or a HEX value such as #bb1e11 into Search code, name or HEX.
2. Pick a family in Color group if you want to browse one series, for example blue or grey.
3. Choose how to order the swatches in Sort colors by: RAL number, lightness (light to dark) or hue.
4. Select a copy format above the chart: HEX, RGB, RAL code or Code + name.
5. Click a swatch to copy it in that format. Shift+click copies the alternate value, which is the RAL code when you are on HEX, or the HEX when you are on RAL code.
6. Tick Show WCAG text contrast on swatches if you plan to put text on a RAL color.

The search field also understands words such as pearl, metallic and luminous, so you can pull up special finishes quickly.

What do the RAL Classic number series mean?

The first digit of a RAL Classic code tells you the color family. RAL 5012 is in the 5000 series, so it is a blue. The chart groups every shade this way, and the Color group menu shows how many colors each series holds.

• 1000: yellow and beige
• 2000: orange
• 3000: red and pink
• 4000: violet
• 5000: blue
• 6000: green
• 7000: grey
• 8000: brown
• 9000: white and black

The last three digits simply number the shade inside its family. They do not encode lightness or hue, so RAL 3020 is not "darker" than RAL 3000 by rule. Use the lightness or hue sort when you need a visual order instead.

How accurate is a RAL to HEX conversion?

A RAL to HEX value is only a screen approximation. RAL colors are physical paint samples, while HEX describes light on a display, so the two never match exactly.

The HEX values on this page are calculated from the CIELAB value published for each color, under D65 lighting, converted to sRGB and clipped to the sRGB gamut. Clipping matters because some saturated RAL shades, especially strong oranges, reds and greens, fall outside what sRGB can display. RAL 2017 and RAL 6039 have no published CIELAB value, so the chart uses widely shared HEX approximations for those two.

Pearl, metallic and luminous finishes

Pearl, metallic and luminous RAL colors carry a badge on the swatch. A flat HEX cannot show pearl shimmer or a metallic sheen, and a daylight luminous color is brighter than any screen. Untick Include pearl, metallic and luminous shades if you only want standard solid colors.

Why your screen changes the result

Display brightness, color profile and room light all shift how a swatch looks. Treat the HEX as a starting point for mockups, then confirm against an official RAL fan deck before you order paint or powder coating.

Closest RAL color finder for any HEX value

The Closest RAL Color Finder turns a HEX into the nearest RAL Classic shades. Enter a brand color in the HEX to RAL field, or use the color picker, and the list shows five candidates. The field accepts HEX, rgb(), hsl() or a CSS color name.

Matches are ranked by CIEDE2000 ΔE against the approximate RAL values. CIEDE2000 is a color-difference formula that tracks how people see differences better than plain RGB distance. A smaller ΔE means a closer match, but the result is still a shortlist. Compare the top candidates side by side and check them on a physical sample.

If you only need a plain English label for a color rather than a RAL code, the color name finder is the better fit.

RAL color chart settings and export formats

The chart exports exactly the colors currently shown, in the current sort order. So you can filter to the 6000 series, sort by lightness and export only those greens.

The CSV export starts with this header row:

code,name,hex,r,g,b,cie_l,cie_a,cie_b,finish

Use Copy palette, Copy list or Copy CSS to put the visible colors on your clipboard. Download CSV and Export JSON save a file instead. Share link copies a URL that restores your search, filters, sort order and selected color, which helps when you send a specific RAL shade to a client.

Can you use RAL colors on a website?

Yes, you can use the HEX approximation of a RAL color in CSS. A value like #BB1E11 is the same as rgb(187, 30, 17): BB is 187, 1E is 30 and 11 is 17. The MDN reference for the CSS hex-color type explains the notation.

Digital use cases include:

• Brand matching: keep a website close to a painted storefront, vehicle or machine finish.
• Product configurators: offer RAL colors for doors, windows, railings or furniture, with a note that on-screen colors are approximate.
• Mockups: preview a facade or fence in a RAL shade before the sample arrives.
• Design systems: export the shades you use as variables, or feed them into a CSS variable theme.

If you need the RGB numbers on their own, the HEX to RGB converter handles any value you copy from the chart.

RAL color chart tips and common mistakes

• Do not order from the screen. A swatch is not certified for color matching. Use an official RAL fan deck for paint and powder orders.
• Always quote the full code. Write "RAL 7016", not just "anthracite grey", because names can be translated differently.
• Check text contrast. Text on a RAL background should reach at least 4.5:1 for normal text under WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3. The contrast checker gives the exact ratio for any pair.
• Compare candidates. When the finder returns several close matches, put them next to each other with the compare colors tool.
• Expect print differences. RAL is not a CMYK system. Converting a HEX to CMYK for print gives another approximation, and the RGB to CMYK converter shows what changes.
• Mind the finish. Gloss, matt and texture change how a RAL color looks in real light, and the chart cannot show that.

Is RAL Classic the same as other RAL systems?

No. RAL Classic is the best-known RAL collection, but RAL also publishes other color systems for different jobs. When someone says "a RAL color" in everyday speech, they almost always mean RAL Classic, with its four-digit codes such as 3020 or 9010.

This chart covers RAL Classic colors only. If a supplier quotes a code from another RAL system, check which collection it belongs to before searching here, because the same number format does not guarantee the same color.

Next step: match RAL to other color systems

If your project also uses Pantone references, the Pantone converter gives HEX, RGB and CMYK values for those colors. Pick a RAL shade here, copy its HEX, and compare both systems in one workflow.