Charcoal vs Charcoal — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Charcoalnearest vs Charcoalnearest

#173F55 · #2C3A59

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 90/100 (analogous) · Distinguishable 21/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 77/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.

Readability0Fail

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fail1.0:1

Harmony90Analogous

Analogous

20° apart

Distinguishable21Hard to tell apart

normal

tritanopia

ΔE 10 (5.2 under CVD)

Match77Different

ΔE 10 — different

How different are Charcoal and Charcoal?

Charcoal and Charcoal are a clear pair (ΔE 10). They have closely related hues (20° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Charcoal text on Charcoal: 1.01:1 (Fail); Charcoal text on Charcoal: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #7FA9C2 clears it.

Common questions

Do Charcoal and Charcoal go well together?

Analogous — analogous — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 90/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Charcoal readable as text on Charcoal?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #7FA9C2 clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Charcoal and Charcoal?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 10 — a clear pair.

Are Charcoal and Charcoal the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 10).

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