Davy Grey

HEX: #555555 | Modern Palette

On White
7.46:1
PASS
On Black
2.82:1
FAIL

Color Specifications

HEX
#555555
RGB
85, 85, 85
HSL
0°, 0% ,33%
CMYK
0, 0, 0, 66.67

About Davy Grey

Davy Grey (#555555) is a color with RGB(85, 85, 85) and HSL(0°, 0%, 33.33%). It is commonly associated with Minimal moods. In design, it fits Monochrome, Muted styles and is suitable for Text, Background, Border. Its complementary color is Davy Grey (#555555), which creates strong contrast. Its triadic palette includes Davy Grey (#555555) and Davy Grey (#555555). The name comes from Davy Grey (English).

  • HEX: #555555
  • RGB: 85, 85, 85
  • HSL: 0°, 0%, 33.33%
  • Mood: Minimal
  • Style: Monochrome, Muted
  • Use case: Text, Background, Border
  • Complementary color: Davy Grey (#555555)
  • Triadic colors: Davy Grey (#555555), Davy Grey (#555555)
  • The name comes from Davy Grey (English).

Live Components

LIGHT
DARK
System Notification Box

Color Palettes

Davy Grey #555555 is used in Monochromatic, Neutral + Accent, Analogous, 3 + 1 + 1 palettes, giving designers ready-made combinations for backgrounds, surfaces, accents, and interface elements.

Monochromatic Five tones of the same hue — a reliable scale for backgrounds, surfaces, and text.
 
DAVY GREY
GRAY
 
 
Neutral + Accent Four near-neutral tones grounded by a saturated accent — clean and versatile for UI.
 
DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
 
 
Analogous Five hues drifting across a 60° arc — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
 
 
 
 
 
3 + 1 + 1 Three analogous base colors, one complementary accent, one dark anchor — bold yet balanced.
 
 
 
 
 

Color Harmonies

Davy Grey #555555 pairs with Davy Grey (#555555) as its complementary color, and Davy Grey (#555555) and Davy Grey (#555555) in triadic combinations. These harmony relationships help create balanced color combinations for UI, branding, and design work.

Complementary

The color directly opposite on the color wheel — creates maximum contrast and vibrance.

DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
Analogous

Colors adjacent on the wheel — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
Triadic

Three colors equally spaced 120° apart — bold, balanced, and visually rich.

DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
Split-Complementary

Two colors flanking the complement — high contrast with less tension than full complementary.

DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
Tetradic (Square)

Four colors at 90° intervals — rich variety, best when one color dominates.

DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
DAVY GREY
Monochromatic

Shades and tints of the same hue — cohesive, elegant, and easy to work with.

DAVY GREY
DIM GRAY

Shades & Tints

The shade and tint range for Davy Grey #555555 moves from dark #0D0D0D tones through the base color to lighter #F2F2F2 tones, making it useful for depth, hierarchy, and background variation.

EERIE BLACK
DAVY GREY
LIGHT GRAY

Color Characteristics

Mood
Minimal
Style
Monochrome Muted
Use case
Text Background Border

Accessibility Simulation

Deuteranopia #555555
Protanopia #555555
Tritanopia #555555
Achromatopsia #555555

Frequently Asked Questions

Davy Grey (#555555) is a color with RGB(85, 85, 85) and HSL(0°, 0%, 33.33%).

#555555 pairs strongly with Davy Grey (#555555) as its complementary color. It can also be used with neutral tones for balanced UI and design layouts.

#555555 is suitable for Text, Background, Border and works well with Monochrome, Muted styles.

#555555 is commonly associated with Minimal.

The name Davy Grey is linked to Davy Grey from English, meaning A shade of grey, specifically #555555.

Name, History & Etymology

Origin Word Davy Grey
Meaning A shade of grey, specifically #555555
Language English
First Recorded Use 19th Century

History

The term 'Davy Grey' is believed to be named after Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829), a prominent British chemist and inventor. While Davy himself did not invent a specific pigment called 'Davy Grey,' his name became associated with certain industrial and chemical processes, and later, with a particular shade of grey that might have been common in industrial settings or derived from chemical processes of the era. It's a relatively dark, neutral grey. The specific hex code #555555 is a modern digital representation of this traditional color name.

First Recorded Use

Circa 1880s

Cultural Associations

Davy Grey, like many traditional color names, evokes a sense of history and industry. It's often associated with utilitarian objects, machinery, and a more subdued, classic aesthetic. It's a versatile neutral that can be found in various design contexts, from fashion to interior design, where a sophisticated and understated grey is desired.

Similar Named Colors
Liver #534B4F ΔE 6.19
Outer Space #414A4C ΔE 6.43
Dim Gray #696969 ΔE 7.30
Quartz #51484F ΔE 7.89

Code Snippets

/* Background */
.element {
    background-color: #555555;
}

/* Text */
.element {
    color: #555555;
}

/* Border */
.element {
    border: 1px solid #555555;
}

/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
    background: linear-gradient(
        to right,
        #555555,
        #555555
    );
}

/* Radial gradient */
.element {
    background: radial-gradient(
        circle,
        #555555,
        #555555
    );
}

// SCSS variable
$davy-grey: #555555;

// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$davy-grey-r: 85;
$davy-grey-g: 85;
$davy-grey-b: 85;

// Usage
.element {
    background-color: $davy-grey;
    color: rgba($davy-grey-r, $davy-grey-g, $davy-grey-b, 0.8);
}