Which white? RAL 9010, 9016, 9001, 9002 and 9003 compared
By Mark Kotterink · · 2 min read
In brief:RAL 9010 or RAL 9016? Five RAL whites side by side: lightness, hue, light reflectance and application. With advice from the official RAL distributor.
White is the most ordered colour group at RAL-Shop. Five whites are in our top 15: RAL 9010, 9002, 9016, 9001 and 9003. The differences are small, but clearly visible in practice. These are the facts.
The five whites side by side
| Colour | Name | Lightness (L*) | Leans towards | LRV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAL 9010 | Pure white | 94.2 | slightly towards yellow | 86.3 |
| RAL 9016 | Traffic white | 94.7 | virtually neutral, cool | 87.9 |
| RAL 9003 | Signal white | 93.4 | neutral | 85.1 |
| RAL 9001 | Cream | 90.1 | clearly towards yellow | 76.8 |
| RAL 9002 | Grey white | 85.4 | grey | 67.9 |
LRV is the light reflectance value: the percentage of light the colour reflects. Official RAL values.
RAL 9010 Pure white
The usual white in paintwork. Just short of brilliant white, with a minimal chroma towards yellow. Warmer than RAL 9016 and cooler than RAL 9001. Widely used for window frames, doors, ceilings and interior paintwork.
RAL 9016 Traffic white
A bright, cool white. The base colour of many uPVC window profiles. As a result 9016 and 9010 often end up side by side, for example a uPVC window frame next to a painted door. The difference is then visible.
RAL 9003 Signal white
A bright, neutral white, defined as a safety colour. In signage white is the contrast colour against which the other safety colours are set. Outside mechanical engineering and installation technology 9003 is rarely chosen.
RAL 9001 Cream
A warm off-white that leans clearly towards yellow. Next to RAL 9016 the difference is large. One of the most applied base colours in uPVC window profiles, alongside 9016.
RAL 9002 Grey white
A light white that leans towards grey. Duller than 9010 and cooler than 9001. Borders on the light greys. Next to RAL 7047 Telegrey 4 the difference is small. In our sales this is the second colour of all RAL Classic colours.
Which white to choose?
That depends on what goes next to it. If the white has to match uPVC window frames, first check which colour those frames are. Usually that is 9016 or 9001. For paintwork without a match to existing white, 9010 is the usual choice. If you want a white that is calmer than 9010, 9002 comes into view.
It also depends on the light. A north-facing room receives cooler daylight than a south-facing room. The same white therefore looks warmer in one room than in the other. Under warm artificial light a white that leans towards yellow becomes yellower still.
A screen does not show these differences reliably. Therefore always place a colour sample next to the existing material, in the place where the colour will go, in daylight and in artificial light.
Ordering: individual RAL K4 colour samples of 9010, 9016, 9001, 9002 and 9003, or the RAL K5 fan deck with all 216 RAL Classic colours at one colour per page.
Source: colour data according to RAL; RAL-Shop sales figures. See also: The best-selling RAL colours.