Gray is the undisputed neutral color of our time, and it’s a great way to make your designs pop, whether you’re using a light gray or dark gray. As a neutral, it complements almost any other color and is used as a background or primary color in many logos, websites and even TV shows.
It pairs beautifully with a ton of other colors which makes it extremely versatile, allowing you to match your design to any brand or topic. Gray is not necessarily cold or boring. In fact, it’s a color that can convey elegance, sophistication, simplicity and calmness. In color theory, gray is the transition between black and white, but fortunately, there are a lot of tone options that can give your designs depth and add interest.
Here are some commonly used gray shades in graphic design, along with examples showing how to pair them with other colors.