SpaBlue vs Gainsboro — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

SpaBlueexact vs Gainsboronearest

#D3DEDF · #E3D9D8

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 100/100 (complementary) · Distinguishable 30/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 83/100 (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

Distinguishable30Hard to tell apart

normal

colorblind

ΔE 7.6

Match83Close

ΔE 7.6 — close

How different are SpaBlue and Gainsboro?

SpaBlue and Gainsboro are very close (ΔE 8). 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?

SpaBlue text on Gainsboro: 1.01:1 (Fail); Gainsboro text on SpaBlue: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #596263 clears it.

Common questions

Do SpaBlue 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 SpaBlue 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 #596263 clears AA.

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

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 8 — very close.

Are SpaBlue and Gainsboro the same colour?

close but visibly different (ΔE 7.6).

Related comparisons