Color guide · Behr · Gray

Great Graphite

PPU24-18 · #A5A6A1 · LRV 38 · neutral with no strong undertone

PPU24-18 · #A5A6A1 · LRV 38 — neutral with no strong undertone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Great GraphiteBehr · PPU24-18
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Great Graphite
BEHR · PPU24-18 · #A5A6A1
Brand · codeBehrPPU24-18 · all Behr grays
LRV38Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertoneneutral with no strong undertone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#A5A6A1 · 165, 166, 161 · 72°, 3%, 64%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Pewter Green12
  2. 2Retreat21
  3. 3Great Graphite38
  4. 4Stardew43
  5. 5Sea Salt63
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Great Graphite, Really?

Great Graphite reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Behr PPU24-18 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Great Graphite

Great Graphite is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Great Graphite

Great Graphite sits in the mid-range at LRV 38, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Great Graphite are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr PPU24-18 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Behr Colors

The nearest shades to Great Graphite within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Great Graphite · 8.6 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Great Graphite · 2.5 : 1 · fails for text

WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #A5A6A1 in HSL space. Pair Great Graphite with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#A5A6A1 + #A2A1A6
TRIADIC
#A5A6A1 · #A1A5A6 · #A6A1A5
ANALOGOUS
#A6A5A1 · #A5A6A1 · #A3A6A1

Have you painted with Great Graphite?

Rate it — one tap helps the next reader decide.

Ask a Question

Jessica Williams

Not sure about Great Graphite in your room?

Ask Jessica below — every question gets a real reply, usually within a day.

Keep exploring