Convert RAL Classic numbers and match any colour to your RAL list
This RAL colour converter works with RAL Classic numbers in two directions. Paste your own table of RAL numbers with their screen colours and it converts each one to HEX, RGB, CMYK and Lab, and for any colour you type in it finds the nearest RAL from that table and shows how close the match is. It also tells you which RAL series a number belongs to, from 1xxx yellows to 9xxx whites and blacks.
It does not contain a built-in table of RAL hex codes, and the page explains why below. That makes it honest rather than wrong: the match is only as good as the values you give it. Everything runs in your browser and your list is kept only in your own browser storage.
How to use the RAL colour converter
- Paste your RAL list, one colour per line, as “RAL 3020 #CC0605” or with RGB numbers. The starter lines are examples only.
- Type a RAL number to see its HEX, RGB, CMYK and Lab values and the series it belongs to.
- Enter a HEX, rgb() or cmyk() colour, or pick one with the colour picker, to see the three nearest RAL colours in your list with their Delta E 2000 difference.
- Check the final choice against a physical RAL sample before ordering.
RAL Colour Converter features
Your list, your values
Bring the RAL colour values you are allowed to use; nothing is uploaded.
Delta E 2000 matching
Nearest colours ranked with the CIEDE2000 formula, which follows human colour perception better than RGB distance.
Series decoder
Names the RAL Classic series for any four-digit number and flags numbers outside its range.
Why this page has no built-in RAL hex table
RAL is a registered trademark of RAL gGmbH, and RAL Classic colours are defined by physical reference samples and measured values, not by sRGB numbers. Many RAL colours, such as strong yellows, oranges and some blues, cannot be shown exactly on a screen, so any hex value is an approximation, and different websites publish different values for the same number.
Several RAL-to-hex datasets are shared online, but when checked on 24 October 2026 none stated a licence together with a documented source for the numbers: a public gist, the edwindj/ral R package and a CSV table showed no licence, and a Ruby gem listed an MIT licence without saying where its data came from. A permissive code licence does not by itself clear the colour data, so none is bundled here. The tool shows only what is public about the standard: the nine series and the first and last colour of each, as listed on Wikipedia’s “RAL colour standard” page.
| Series | Group | First and last colour |
|---|---|---|
| 1xxx | Yellow and beige | RAL 1000 Green beige to RAL 1037 Sun yellow |
| 2xxx | Orange | RAL 2000 Yellow orange to RAL 2017 RAL orange |
| 3xxx | Red | RAL 3000 Flame red to RAL 3033 Pearl pink |
| 4xxx | Violet | RAL 4001 Red lilac to RAL 4012 Pearl blackberry |
| 5xxx | Blue | RAL 5000 Violet blue to RAL 5026 Pearl night blue |
| 6xxx | Green | RAL 6000 Patina green to RAL 6039 Fibrous green |
| 7xxx | Grey | RAL 7000 Squirrel grey to RAL 7048 Pearl mouse grey |
| 8xxx | Brown | RAL 8000 Green brown to RAL 8029 Pearl copper |
| 9xxx | White and black | RAL 9001 Cream to RAL 9023 Pearl dark grey |
How the matching works
Each colour is converted from sRGB to CIE Lab using the D65 white point, and the distance between two colours is the CIEDE2000 colour difference, published by Sharma, Wu and Dalal in 2005. A difference below 1 is generally not visible, 1 to 2 is barely visible side by side, and above 5 is clearly different. CMYK shown here comes from the simple RGB formula without a printer profile, so a press will not reproduce it exactly.
RAL Colour Converter FAQ
How do I convert RAL to HEX?
Add the RAL number and its colour to the list, then type the number into the lookup. The page shows the HEX, RGB, CMYK and Lab you supplied, in every format.
Is the HEX value of a RAL colour exact?
No. RAL colours are physical colours. Any HEX is a screen approximation and varies by source and by display.
How do I convert CMYK to RAL?
Enter the CMYK values as cmyk(c, m, y, k) in percent. The page converts them to RGB and finds the nearest colours in your list. Treat the result as a suggestion only.
How do I find the nearest RAL colour?
Type or pick a colour and read the top three matches with their Delta E 2000 values. Smaller is closer.
Why not include all RAL codes?
The values are trademarked and colour-measured data without a clear reuse licence, so they are not bundled. See the explanation above.
Can I convert general colours too?
Yes, with the colour converter, which handles HEX, RGB, HSL, Lab, OKLCH and CMYK.