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RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus - The plus in design freedom

The RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus is the modern and systematic colour system for all creative people who design with colour in a finely graduated and comprehensive way. Perfectly developed for the requirements of architecture, design, industry and trade, RAL provides the optimum colour shade for every work situation quickly and easily.

How the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus works

The RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus is a three-dimensional colour system that is based on the internationally renowned CIELab model.

With 1,825 standardised colour tones, which are finely graded in terms of hue, lightness and chroma, it offers endless design possibilities.

Each colour shade is clearly identified with a 7-digit RAL colour code and an associative colour name. The colour code provides an indication of the position of the colour tone in the colour space.

The first three digits indicate the colour tone. The RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus comprises 40 colour rows – 39 colour tone rows plus a grey axis. The colour shades are subdivided in the colour wheel from 000 to 360. The colour series 000 is the grey axis. The colour RAL 180 40 20 is therefore a shade of green, for example.

The fourth and fifth digits indicate the lightness of the colour tone. Low values correspond to dark colours and high values to light colours. For example, 00 corresponds to black and 100 to white. The colour RAL 180 40 20 is therefore a rather dark shade of green.

The last two digits indicate the chroma of the colour tone. Low values mean less saturated shades that are closer to the grey axis and high values mean more saturated shades. The colour RAL 180 40 20 is therefore a rather dark and less saturated shade of green. It is a clearly defined colour. It bears the colour name Sea green.

What is special about the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus

Precise colour communication has never been so easy! With the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus, everyone speaks the same language – regardless of country or mother tongue. At the same time, it ensures a uniform understanding of the colour tone: Green is not just green, but RAL 180 40 20 Sea green is precisely this colour tone.

By standardising the colour shades, reproducibility and quality can be ensured at the same time.

The colour system also enables a simple and systematic selection of shades and makes it easier to combine them with other shades.

The colour names of the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus are available in German, English, French, Russian and Chinese. They stimulate creativity and provide a synaesthetic image of the colour tone.

The RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus is a manufacturer- and material-independent colour standard. This allows designers to use the shades according to their individual needs and context.

RAL colour trend report with RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus colours

Which colours will be particularly relevant in the coming years? The RAL COLOUR FEELING is a regular colour trend report that provides a future-oriented colour palette. All trend colours come from the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus – perfectly combinable and adaptable in terms of lightness, chroma or hue.

Colour names and light reflectance value

The colour names and an overview of the light reflectance values of the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus colour shades can be found in the download area.

All RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus products