grey
Let an agent handle grey by colour specification, contrast, uses and cultural meaning.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent handle grey by colour specification, contrast, uses and cultural meaning.
An achromatic colour between black and white, with many shades and tints such as battleship grey, taupe and greige; spelled gray in American English.
What it is for: Design, backgrounds, text, materials and symbolism.
It can be specify grey values; check contrast of grey text; choose warm or cool greys; match paint colours.
Distinguishing features
Between black and white
Neutral or tinted
Common in interfaces
Low-contrast grey text harms readability
What it looks like
Neutral colours from light to dark, sometimes tinted warm or cool.
How it is recognised
sRGB values with equal channels for neutral grey
Named greys such as taupe or greige
Spelling grey or gray
Related models
is a kind of - category
lies between - colours
is specified by - standards
is used in - application
In practice
Families and kinds
neutral greys
warm greys such as greige
cool greys
named greys such as battleship grey
Identifiers
sRGB hex #808080 (CSS gray) screen colour
Standards and regulation
WCAG contrast guidelines
CIE colorimetry
Failure modes and hazards
Low-contrast grey text
Mismatched greys under different light
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.grey-artifact
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Specification Which grey.
Greys differ.
Code
Colour system.
Code
Colour specification.
- Which colour system and value define this grey? definition
- Is it warm, cool or neutral? definition
Lightness
Value.
Lightness
Lightness.
- How light or dark is it? measurement
- On which scale? definition
Design Contrast.
Grey text needs care.
Contrast
Legibility.
Contrast
Contrast.
- Does grey text meet contrast guidelines on this background? boundary
- What ratio? measurement
Palette
Neutrals.
Palette
Palette.
- How should greys be combined in a palette? action
- Do tints clash with accents? boundary
Materials Paint and finish.
Matching needs care.
Paint
Matching.
Paint
Paint matching.
- Which paint matches this grey? action
- Under which lighting? boundary
Finish
Gloss.
Finish
Finish.
- How does finish change the appearance? definition
- Which finish suits the use? action
Culture Meaning.
Meaning varies.
Symbolism
Associations.
Symbolism
Symbolism.
- What does grey signify in this context? provenance
- Is it linked to neutrality or age? definition
Spelling
Grey or gray.
Spelling
Spelling.
- Which spelling fits the variety of English? definition
- Are both used in names? definition
What the second pass must settle
- Should named greys be separate entries?
- How should paint systems be linked?
- How should spelling variants be handled?