Gunmetal Color Palette
Gunmetal is hex #2A3439, rgb(42, 52, 57). Gunmetal is a very dark grey with a blue tint, like the bronze alloy once used for guns. It feels technical and serious.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Gunmetal color codes
Reading the gunmetal color codes
The hex code #2A3439 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 2A is 42, 34 is 52 and 39 is 57, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(42, 52, 57) in CSS. The blue channel is the strongest here, which is what gives gunmetal its blue character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 200 degrees places gunmetal in the blue part of the color wheel. Saturation of 15% makes it muted, and lightness of 19% makes it a very dark color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 26% cyan, 9% magenta, 0% yellow and 78% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to gunmetal for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Gunmetal shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #2A3439, so you can use gunmetal for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"gunmetal": {
50: "#E2E3E4",
100: "#CED0D1",
200: "#B9BCBE",
300: "#A5A9AB",
400: "#909598",
500: "#7C8285",
600: "#676E72",
700: "#535B5F",
800: "#3E474C",
900: "#2A3439",
950: "#1D2327",
},
},
},
}:root {
--gunmetal-50: #E2E3E4;
--gunmetal-100: #CED0D1;
--gunmetal-200: #B9BCBE;
--gunmetal-300: #A5A9AB;
--gunmetal-400: #909598;
--gunmetal-500: #7C8285;
--gunmetal-600: #676E72;
--gunmetal-700: #535B5F;
--gunmetal-800: #3E474C;
--gunmetal-900: #2A3439;
--gunmetal-950: #1D2327;
}A shade-by-shade guide to gunmetal
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#E2E3E4) and 100 (#CED0D1), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the gunmetal mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#B9BCBE) and 300 (#A5A9AB) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where gunmetal is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 600 upward, so use step 600 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 500.
The darkest steps, 800 (#3E474C) through 950 (#1D2327), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to gunmetal. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with gunmetal
How the gunmetal color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from gunmetal is #392F2A, which sits closest to taupe among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #2A3937 and #2A2D39 sit 30 degrees either side of gunmetal. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#392A34 and #34392A) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to taupe. The split complementary set (#392A2D and #39372A) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #6B8491 to #111517. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Gunmetal compared with similar colors
charcoal (#36454F) is lighter (26% vs 19% lightness) and similarly saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose charcoal if you want a softer, airier version; choose gunmetal if you want a quieter, more natural tone.
taupe (#483C32) is lighter (24% vs 19% lightness) and similarly saturated, and leans back the wheel toward orange. Choose taupe if you want a softer, airier version; choose gunmetal if you want a quieter, more natural tone.
hunter green (#355E3B) is lighter (29% vs 19% lightness) and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward green. Choose hunter green if you want a softer, airier version; choose gunmetal if you want a quieter, more natural tone.
Gunmetal in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here gunmetal carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using gunmetal in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. Gunmetal carries white labels at 12.74:1, which passes AA for normal text.
- Text. Gunmetal works as text on white backgrounds.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a muted very dark color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with gunmetal. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Gunmetal scores 12.74:1 against white (AAA) and 1.65:1 against black (Fail). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use gunmetal alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What gunmetal means
Greys and charcoals feel professional, technical and serious. Blue-tinted greys feel cool and modern; warm greys feel softer.
Gunmetal is named after the bronze alloy once used for cannons. As a color it is a dark, slightly blue grey with a technical feel.
Most interfaces are built mostly from greys. Choosing a tinted grey (slate, charcoal) instead of a flat one gives the whole product a consistent temperature.
Where gunmetal works best
- Automotive
- Tech hardware
- Developer tools
- Gaming dark themes
How to style gunmetal
Gunmetal pairs with amber, white, silver and electric blue. It makes a strong dark-mode surface and text color for automotive, hardware and developer products.
Build a UI with gunmetal
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #2A3439 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Gunmetal · History and definition of gunmetal.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for gunmetal?
The hex code for gunmetal used on this page is #2A3439. In RGB that is rgb(42, 52, 57), and in HSL it is hsl(200, 15%, 19%).
What colors go well with gunmetal?
Gunmetal pairs well with #151B1E, #E9EDEF, #7D8B92 (the Machined palette above). Its complementary color is #392F2A, and analogous colors are #2A3937 and #2A2D39.
Is gunmetal a warm or cool color?
Gunmetal is a cool color. Its hue sits at 200 degrees on the color wheel with 15% saturation.
Can I use gunmetal for text?
Gunmetal has a contrast ratio of 12.74:1 against white and 1.65:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as text on white backgrounds.
What does gunmetal mean?
Greys and charcoals feel professional, technical and serious. Blue-tinted greys feel cool and modern; warm greys feel softer. Gunmetal in particular is used for automotive and tech hardware.
How do I use gunmetal in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#2A3439] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-gunmetal-500 and text-gunmetal-900.
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