Mainsail vs Gainsboro — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Mainsailexact vs Gainsboronearest

#D9DFE2 · #DBDEE3

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 85/100 (analogous) · Distinguishable 1/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 97/100 (identical). 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

Harmony85Analogous

Analogous

17° apart

Distinguishable1Hard to tell apart

normal

deuteranopia

ΔE 1.5 (0.4 under CVD)

Match97Identical

ΔE 1.5 — identical

How different are Mainsail and Gainsboro?

Mainsail and Gainsboro are identical (ΔE 2). They have closely related hues (17° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Mainsail text on Gainsboro: 1.00:1 (Fail); Gainsboro text on Mainsail: 1.00:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #5E6366 clears it.

Common questions

Do Mainsail and Gainsboro go well together?

Analogous — analogous — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 85/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Mainsail 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 #5E6366 clears AA.

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

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 2 — identical.

Are Mainsail and Gainsboro the same colour?

effectively the same colour.

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