Glacial vs Gainsboro — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Glacialexact vs Gainsboronearest

#D1DAD7 · #DED5D8

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 100/100 (complementary) · Distinguishable 14/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 84/100 (close). 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

Harmony100Complementary

Complementary

180° apart

Distinguishable14Hard to tell apart

normal

protanopia

ΔE 7.2 (3.5 under CVD)

Match84Close

ΔE 7.2 — close

How different are Glacial and Gainsboro?

Glacial and Gainsboro are very close (ΔE 7). They have near-opposite hues (180° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Glacial text on Gainsboro: 1.01:1 (Fail); Gainsboro text on Glacial: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #58605D clears it.

Common questions

Do Glacial and Gainsboro go well together?

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

Is Glacial readable as text on Gainsboro?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #58605D clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Glacial and Gainsboro?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 7 — very close.

Are Glacial and Gainsboro the same colour?

close but visibly different (ΔE 7.2).

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