Which light grey? RAL 7044, 7032, 7035 and 7038 compared

Light grey is, after white, the most ordered colour group at RAL-Shop. Four light greys keep coming back: RAL 7044, 7032, 7035 and 7038. They lie close together, but each leans a different way. That determines the choice.

The four greys side by side

Colour	Name	Lightness (L*)	Leans towards	LRV
RAL 7035	Light grey	79.9	virtually neutral	59.0
RAL 7044	Silk grey	73.1	slightly towards beige	47.6
RAL 7032	Pebble grey	72.3	beige	45.2
RAL 7038	Agate grey	71.9	slightly towards green	46.0

Official RAL values.

RAL 7035 Light grey

The lightest of the four and virtually neutral. The standard colour of switch cabinets and machine housings. The lightness and the very low chroma make 7035 the most used light grey in industry.

RAL 7044 Silk grey

A light grey that leans slightly towards beige. Warmer than 7038 and lighter than 7032. Widely applied in interiors. In our sales 7044 ranks third of all RAL Classic colours.

RAL 7032 Pebble grey

A light grey that leans clearly towards beige. Slightly darker and warmer than 7044. One of the most applied light greys in façade work and equipment.

RAL 7038 Agate grey

A light grey that leans slightly towards green. Slightly darker than 7035. Widely applied in façade work, window frames and interiors.

Which grey to choose?

Look at the material next to it. Next to wood, brick or beige colours, a warm grey such as 7044 or 7032 fits. Next to white, steel or cool colours, a warm grey quickly reads as beige. Then 7035 or 7038 is the better choice. For machines and cabinets 7035 is the usual standard.

Mind the light. A warm grey becomes warmer still under warm artificial light. Therefore always assess a colour sample in the place where the colour will go.

Ordering: individual RAL K4 colour samples of 7044, 7032, 7035 and 7038, or the RAL K5 fan deck.

Source: colour data according to RAL; RAL-Shop sales figures. See also: The best-selling RAL colours.