RAL to HEX Converter
Look up the HEX, RGB, and CMYK value for any RAL Classic color code from the full bundled RAL palette.
Type the RAL number with or without the "RAL" prefix — e.g. "5010" or "RAL 5010".
RAL 5010
Gentian blue
#0E4C92rgb(14, 76, 146)cmyk(90%, 48%, 0%, 43%)How RAL to HEX conversion works
The RAL Classic system is a European color-matching standard (managed by RAL gGmbH, Germany) widely used for paints, coatings, plastics, and architectural finishes. Each of its 213+ colors has a unique 4-digit code — like RAL 5010 (Gentian blue) or RAL 3020 (Traffic red) — grouped into families by leading digit (1xxx yellows, 2xxx oranges, 3xxx reds, 4xxx violets, 5xxx blues, 6xxx greens, 7xxx greys, 8xxx browns, 9xxx whites/blacks).
RAL defines its colors physically (as printed/painted swatches under standardized lighting), not as digital HEX or RGB values, so any RAL-to-HEX table is necessarily a close sRGB approximation rather than an exact conversion — useful for web mockups, UI design, and quick visual reference, but always confirm against a physical RAL swatch book before specifying paint or print production. This tool looks up each code against a bundled reference table and derives RGB and CMYK from the matched HEX value entirely in your browser. For the reverse lookup or other palettes, try Color Converter or Color Name Converter.
Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated
What this tool is used for
- Getting a screen approximation of a specified paint or coating colour.
- Producing a hex value for a mockup that has to match a physical finish.
- Looking up a RAL code quoted in a specification.
- Building a digital palette from an existing physical colour standard.
- Checking which RAL code a supplier's reference corresponds to.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is RAL?
- A European colour standard used for paint, coatings and industrial finishes — RAL Classic assigns four-digit numbers to a fixed set of shades, so a specification names a colour unambiguously.
- How exact is a RAL to hex conversion?
- Approximate. RAL defines physical colours measured under controlled lighting, and hex is an sRGB screen value — the two live in different gamuts, so the conversion is a visual match rather than an equivalence.
- Can I match paint from a screen?
- Not reliably. Displays vary, ambient light changes perception, and metallic or textured finishes have no screen equivalent at all. A physical fan deck remains the only way to specify paint confidently.
- How do the RAL ranges differ?
- Classic is the original four-digit set, Design uses a systematic hue-lightness-chroma notation, and Effect covers metallics. Classic is what most specifications and this conversion refer to.
- Why do the numbers have a pattern?
- The first digit is the colour group — 1000s yellow, 3000s red, 5000s blue, 9000s white and black. So RAL 5010 is a blue without looking it up, which is the point of the scheme.
Common errors and gotchas
- Treating the hex as an exact match, since a physical ink or coating cannot be reproduced exactly on screen.
- Ignoring the finish, where gloss and matt versions of one code look markedly different.
- Assuming RAL Classic is the whole system, when Design and Effect ranges exist separately.
- Judging the colour on an uncalibrated display, which is the largest source of error here.
- Using the screen value for print without converting through a proper profile.