Pitch Black No. 256 by Farrow & Ball is a paint that truly lives up to its name. This rich, deep black is as pure as it gets, free from the undertones of other colors that can sometimes soften or alter a shade. Its intensity makes it bold, but its versatility ensures it fits beautifully in a variety of spaces.
Whether you're creating a dramatic feature wall, adding a sleek, modern touch to furniture, or grounding a room with timeless elegance, Pitch Black delivers. Its name draws inspiration from the dark, sticky coal tar once used in roofing, and its depth mirrors that inky richness. Farrow & Ball have crafted a black that's both striking and understated, perfect for those seeking sophistication without compromise.
Pitch Black (256) color belongs to the Black color family (hue). The hexadecimal color code(color number) for Pitch Black (256) is #3D3C3C, and the RGB color code is RGB(61, 60, 60).
In the RGB color model, Pitch Black (256) has a red value of 61, a green value of 60, and a blue value of 60. The CMYK color model (also known as process color, used in color printing) comprises 0.0% cyan, 1.6% magenta, 1.6% yellow, and 76.1% key (black). The HSL color scale has a hue of 0° (degrees), 0.8 % saturation, and 23.7 % lightness. In the HSB/HSV color space, Pitch Black (256) has a hue of 0° (degrees), 1.6 % saturation and 23.9 % brightness/value.
The color Pitch Black (256) is neither cool nor warm color. It is a neutral color
Pitch Black (256) has an LRV of nearly 4.6. By LRV value, it is a very dark color.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a measure of how much visible light is reflected off a surface. It is a number on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being pure black and 100 being pure white. The higher the LRV, the more light the color reflects and the lighter it will appear.
Compare LRV 4.6 of Pitch Black (256) with dark and light color
LRV is important to consider when choosing paint colors for a room, as it can affect the overall brightness and mood of the space.
Lighter colors with higher LRVs will make a room feel more spacious and airy, while darker colors with lower LRVs will create a more intimate and cozy atmosphere.
LRV value 4.6 puts Farrow & Ball Pitch Black (256) paint color in the
darker category.
Pitch Black (256) (Paint - Farrow & Ball) color codes / color number / color space conversions - HEX, RGBA, CMYK, HSL, HSV/HSB, HYZ, CMY, HWB, RYB
What is Delta E (ΔE)?
Delta E is the standard measure of how different two colors look to the human eye, rather than how far apart their hex codes happen to be. It runs from 0, an exact match, to 100, the largest possible difference — so the lower the Delta E, the closer the match. The match percentage shown on each color below is simply 100% minus its ΔE.
These are the named colors closest to Pitch Black (256) (Paint - Farrow & Ball), closest match first. Each card shows how much of the color the human eye sees as the same, measured as Delta E (ΔE).
RAL Design
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent colors from RAL Design. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to RAL Design
Pantone TCX
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent colors from Pantone TCX. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Pantone TCX
Pantone PMS
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent colors from Pantone PMS. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Pantone PMS
British Standard 4800
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent colors from British Standard 4800. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to British Standard 4800
RAL Classic
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent colors from RAL Classic. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to RAL Classic
These are the real paint colors closest to Pitch Black (256) (Paint - Farrow & Ball) from major brands, ranked by Delta E (ΔE) match. A paint above 98% will be hard to tell apart from Pitch Black (256) once it is on a wall.
Farrow & Ball
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from Farrow & Ball. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Farrow & Ball
Dunn-Edwards
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from Dunn-Edwards. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Dunn-Edwards
Benjamin Moore
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from Benjamin Moore. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Benjamin Moore
Behr
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from Behr. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Behr
PPG Paints
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from PPG Paints. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to PPG Paints
Valspar
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from Valspar. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Valspar
Sherwin Williams
Pitch Black (256) similar/equivalent paint from Sherwin Williams. Conversion of Pitch Black (256) to Sherwin Williams
Monochromatic colors belong to the same hue angle but different tints and shades. Monochromatic color palette can be generated by keeping the exact hue of the base color and then changing the saturation and lightness.
Analogous colors are a group of colors adjacent to each other on a color wheel. Group of these adjacent colors forms Analogous color scheme Palette. Analogous Palette can be generated by increasing or decreasing the hue value by 30 points.
The triadic color palette has three colors separated by 120° in the RGB color wheel
The tetradic colour scheme composed of two sets of complementary colors in a rectangular shape on the color wheel.
Complementary / Opposite Color
Complementary colors are pairs of colors which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out (lose hue) by producing a grayscale color like white or black. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those two colors. Complementary colors also called opposite colors. Complementary color schemes are created using two opposite colors on the color wheel. The examples are red–cyan, green–magenta, and blue–yellow.
Color that best contrast with Farrow & Ball Pitch Black (256) - #3D3C3C is #3C3D3D, color name is Shadow Gray*. Contrast indicates a strong difference in color. Contrasting color can be found several ways, Complimentary contrast is one of them. Complementary contrast colors are opposite each other on the color wheel.
Complementary or Opposite color for Farrow & Ball Pitch Black (256) - #3D3C3C is #3C3D3D, color name is Shadow Gray*.
