Lead Color

Cool gray metallic color of lead blocks, steady and tenacious

HEX#6C757A

RGBrgb(108, 117, 122)

HSLhsl(201, 6%, 45%)

HSVhsv(201, 11%, 48%)

CMYKcmyk(11%, 4%, 0%, 52%)

HEXA#6C757AFF

RGBArgba(108, 117, 122, 1)

HSLAhsla(201, 6%, 45%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(76.7%, 0.009, 231)

LCHlch(73.1%, 10.6, 221)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFFFFFRatio 4.7:1AA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#FAFAFARatio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#CECCD1Ratio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#B0A6ACRatio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

Online Color Picker → Gradient Generator →

Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, stepwise lightness adjustment ±30%

#242729

#3C4144

#545B5F

#6C757A

#858E93

#A0A7AB

#BBC0C3

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, stepwise saturation adjustment ±30%

#67767E

#607885

#557C91

#497F9C

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#2B353B

#3D4B52

#4E606A

#5F7581

#728A97

#899EA9

#9BB3BF

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#6C787A

#6C777A

#6C767A

#6C757A

#6C747A

#6C737A

#6C717A

💡 Use Cases

🏗️

Industrial Architecture

A classic color for steel structures and metal roofing, displaying the power of industrial architecture and modern rational aesthetics

🔩

Hardware Fittings

The steady color scheme for metal products like door handles and lamps, blending into various spatial styles with understated texture

🎨

Japanese Painting Materials

Lead white is an important white pigment in traditional Japanese painting, with Lead Color serving as a base carrying the layers of the picture

📦

Military Equipment

The dark gray coating on military gear and field equipment, meeting the demanding needs for both camouflage and durability

📜 Origin & History

As a traditional Japanese color, Lead Color's history can be traced back to the Nara period. After being introduced from China, lead was initially used for casting Buddhist statues and making roof tiles. The Shōsōin documents contain records about lead, which was then considered a precious metal, its cool, gray-white tone thus associated with the solemnity of religious architecture.

After the Heian period, lead's applications in Japanese crafts gradually expanded. Lead-glazed pottery was fired in various kilns, displaying a characteristic silver-gray or gray-green luster upon cooling. Lead red was also widely used as a pigment and rust inhibitor, solidifying Lead Color's position in architecture and applied arts.

From Muromachi to Edo periods, lead's relationship with commoners' lives deepened. The widespread availability of everyday items like lead toys and fishing sinkers made Lead Color a familiar metallic sight in daily life. Furthermore, lead white was treasured by artists as an important white pigment in Japanese painting, used extensively in screen and mural paintings.

In the late Edo period, Western pigments and chemical knowledge introduced through Dutch trading posts deepened Japanese understanding of lead's colors. Lead white and lead red played key roles in the color printing of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, with Lead Color acting as a stabilizing mid-tone and background in the brilliant colors of nishiki-e.

In modern industrial development, lead was widely used in batteries, lead-type printing, and piping, making Lead Color one of the signature colors of the industrial age. Although lead's toxicity has gradually phased it out of daily use, Lead Color remains preserved as a traditional color memory in Japanese paint color charts and design aesthetics, representing calmness and tenacity.

🧠 Color Psychology

Steady TenacityThe heavy, grounded dark gray metallic color like a lead block conveys a tenacious quality that remains stable under pressure

Cool RationalityA metallic cool gray without emotional warmth, helping maintain calm objective judgment and a clear head

Flexible StrengthThough heavy, lead can bend without breaking, symbolizing a restrained power that combines firmness with flexibility, ready to release

Unadorned SimplicityLacking the dazzling luster of gold or silver, it reveals a true and reliable essence and character with the most simple metallic gray

Aged SedimentationThe dark gray patina slowly formed by lead oxidizing in air is the calm mark and proof left by time

Solid ProtectionLead plates are used for radiation and waterproofing; Lead Color thus conveys a sense of indestructible guardianship and security

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