RAL Classic
RAL 9004 Signal Black
#282828
RAL 9004 Signal Black is #282828 in HEX, rgb(40, 40, 40), cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 84%).
RAL 9004, Signal Black, is a cool color from the RAL Classic — the European standard used to specify exact colors for paints and coatings. Its hex value is #282828, or rgb(40, 40, 40). It's commonly specified for doors, frames, gates, machinery and metal cladding. Below are its exact color codes (HEX, RGB, CMYK, HSL), the nearest real interior paints across 16 brands so you can match it on a wall, and similar RAL shades.
RAL 9004 Color Codes
Paint Matches — RAL 9004 across 16 brands
Light Reflectance & Undertone
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
2/100
Very Dark
Absorbs almost all light — dramatic and cocooning. Needs strong artificial lighting and works best as an accent or in well-lit rooms.
Undertone
A near-neutral with a subtle neutral pink undertone — it will pick up colour from surrounding surfaces and shift noticeably under different light.
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Monochromatic
Shades & Tints
Shades and tints of Signal Black run from a pale tint down to a deep shade — same hue and saturation, lightness stepped. Each rung below shows its exact HEX code; tap any to copy it.
Variations
Lighter
Darker
Saturation
Interior Use
Best Rooms
living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens
Best Uses
main walls, trim, accents
Pairs With
soft whites, natural wood, brass, matte black trim
Accessibility (WCAG)
Deuteranopia
Protanopia
Tritanopia
Color Psychology
Quiet · Versatile
Signal Black gets out of the way so the architecture and the people in the room do the work. The right neutral is never a default — it reads warm or cool, dusty or sharp depending on its undertone, and that undertone is what makes or breaks the room.
How it looks under different light
Pairs With
Paint Info
Brand · Product Line
Benjamin Moore / Aura Interior (for richer color depth in deep tones)
Recommended Finishes
Matte (walls) · Pearl (trim) · Satin (doors)
Deep colors look best in matte — gloss exaggerates surface flaws. Reserve subtle sheen for trim, doors, and high-touch areas.
Best Surfaces
Accent walls · Doors · Cabinetry · Built-ins
Coverage & Dry Time
Typical coverage 350-400 sq ft per gallon over a primed surface.
Touch-dry in ~1 hour. Recoat after 4 hours. Full cure 7-14 days.
Primer
Tinted primer in a similar value is highly recommended — saves a coat and prevents the wall colour from washing the surface.
Application Tip
Use a 9" microfiber roller on walls and a 2.5" angled sash brush for trim cuts. Two coats minimum for even depth.
Paint Calculator
You'll need
4.0 litres
1.06 US gallons · room for one touch-up coat. Buy slightly more to ensure single-batch match.
Code Snippets
color: #282828;background-color: #282828;--color-signal-black: #282828;colors: { 'signal-black': '#282828' }bg-[#282828] text-[#282828]$signal-black: #282828;Similar RAL Colors
About RAL 9004
What is a RAL color?
RAL is the European color-matching standard used to specify exact colors for paints and coatings. Each code — like RAL 9004 from the RAL Classic — maps to one defined color, so a manufacturer or painter anywhere produces the identical result. It's used first and foremost on window frames, doors, façades, gates, railings and powder-coated metalwork.
Matching RAL 9004 on interior walls
RAL is defined for industrial coatings, not interior wall paint — so to paint a room in this color you match it to a real interior brand. The Paint Matches above show the nearest Signal Black equivalent across 16 brands (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, Dulux and more), each with its code, so you can take RAL 9004 straight to a can.
More
Our color tools run on our own catalogue of 26,000+ real paint colors across 16 brands — Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, Dulux, RAL and more — with the color math (HSL and CIELAB matching) computed in-house, not scraped from summaries. Every color you pick maps to a real, buyable paint with its code, so what you see here you can actually take to the store. We review and update these tools and their data regularly.
Created by Denis Kataev, founder of DSGN.HOUSE — a software engineer and digital entrepreneur building professional color-design tools for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is RAL 9004?
RAL 9004 is Signal Black. On screen it is approximately #282828 (rgb 40, 40, 40).
What is RAL 9004 in RGB?
RAL 9004 is approximately rgb(40, 40, 40). Its HSL and CMYK values are in the color codes above.
What paint matches RAL 9004?
See “Paint Matches” above — it shows the nearest real paint in 16 brands (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, Dulux and more) so you can paint a wall to match this RAL color.
What is the HEX code for RAL 9004?
RAL 9004 (Signal Black) is approximately #282828 in HEX — the standard sRGB equivalent for screen.
What is RAL 9004 in CMYK?
RAL 9004 converts to roughly cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 84%). For exact ink, confirm against a physical RAL fan deck.
Are RAL hex values exact?
They're the standard sRGB equivalent for screen. RAL is defined for physical coatings, so always confirm critical color against a physical RAL fan deck.