#E2E2D8 · #E8DEE3
Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 55/100 (triadic (soft)) · Distinguishable 8/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 81/100 (close). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.
Gainsboro and Ethereal are very close (ΔE 9). They have distinctly different hues (90° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.
Gainsboro text on Ethereal: 1.01:1 (Fail); Ethereal text on Gainsboro: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #65645C clears it.
Triadic (soft) — workable but not a textbook harmony (harmony 55/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.
Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #65645C clears AA.
Their CIE76 ΔE is about 9 — very close.
close but visibly different (ΔE 8.6).
Explore each color: Gainsboro #E2E2D8 · Ethereal #E8DEE3 · Shades: Gainsboro shades · Ethereal shades · Contrast checker →