Paint colors · Sherwin-Williams, as published by the brand

Software SW 7074 from Sherwin-Williams: hex #7F8486, LRV and undertone

Software (SW 7074) from Sherwin-Williams is #7F8486 with an LRV of 22.676. It measures as a true neutral, and black text on it reaches 5.54:1.

By Paul Gunder. Every value is computed from published standards; see how ColorPlum works.

Updated November 11, 2026

Sherwin-WilliamsSoftwareSW 7074

Hex: #7F8486
RGB: 127, 132, 134
LRV: 22.676
Undertone: True neutral

LRV 22.676. Dark: a deep color that absorbs most light; often used on cabinets, doors and accent walls.

Almost no undertone (chroma 0.007): it reads as a clean gray in most light.

Coordinating colors Sherwin-Williams suggests

Site WhiteSW 7070
Toque WhiteSW 7003
Pollen PowderSW 9014

Closest colors from other brands

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 difference between the published values: under 2 is hard to tell apart on a wall, 2 to 5 is a visible but related shade. Always compare real chips before you buy.

Name, code, LRV and color value as published by Sherwin-Williams on its color page (checked 2026-11-11). A screen can only approximate paint: sheen, lighting and the screen itself all change it, so check a physical sample. ColorPlum is not affiliated with Sherwin-Williams.

ColorPlum swatchSoftwaremedium gray

HEX: #7F8486
RGB: rgb(127, 132, 134)
HSL: hsl(197, 3%, 51%)

Best text on it: black at 5.54:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Software#7F8486

Every code for Software

HEX#7F8486
RGBrgb(127, 132, 134)
HSLhsl(197, 3%, 51%)
HSV197°, 5%, 53%
CMYK5%, 1%, 0%, 47%
Lablab(54.8% -1.6 -1.8)
OKLCHoklch(61% 0.007 223.5)
Decimal8356998

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Software in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#F2F3F3
80%#E5E6E7
70%#D9DADB
60%#CCCECF
50%#BFC2C3
40%#B2B5B6
30%#A5A9AA
20%#999D9E
10%#8C9092
Base#7F8486
10%#727779
20%#666A6B
30%#595C5E
40%#4C4F50
50%#404243
60%#333536
70%#262828
80%#191A1B
90%#0D0D0D

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#7F8485
20%#7F8385
30%#7F8384
40%#7F8284
50%#808283
60%#808282
70%#808182
80%#808181
90%#808081

Matching colors

Complementary

#7F8486
#86817F

Analogous

#7F8684
#7F8486
#7F8186

Triadic

#7F8486
#867F84
#84867F

Split complementary

#7F8486
#867F81
#86847F

Tetradic (square)

#7F8486
#847F86
#86817F
#81867F

Monochromatic

#343738
#5A5D5F
#7F8486
#A6AAAB
#CED0D0

Software in 3D color space

OKLab, the space ColorPlum does its math in: lightness runs up the pole, hue goes around it and saturation grows outward. The faint shell is every color a screen can show (saturation is drawn wider than lightness so hues separate). Drag to turn it.

Software with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Software
Triad #867F84
Triad #84867F
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Software in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; software carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Software

A paragraph with a link in dark text, because this color is too light for text on white; use it for fills instead.

How it looks with color-vision deficiency

A simulation (Machado and colleagues, 2009) of how the color and its complement read without one type of cone.

Typical color vision#7F8486
Protanopia (no red cones)#838486
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#828386
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#7D8585

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	3.78:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	5.54:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	3.78:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	5.54:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	3.30:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --software: #7f8486;
  --software-rgb: 127 132 134;
  --software-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Software is the name Sherwin-Williams gives to SW 7074, a mid-depth gray at #7F8486, RGB 127, 132, 134. The channels are nearly equal, with blue only seven steps above red.

Numbers and what they imply

HSL is hsl(197, 3%, 51%), Lab is lab(54.8% -1.6 -1.8) and OKLCH is oklch(61% 0.007 223.5). With chroma at only 0.007, the undertone field classes it as a true neutral, meaning the gray stays clean across most lighting conditions. The faint negative a and b values in Lab mean the slightest cool tilt, but you would need a white card beside it to see any.

An LRV of 22.676 lands in the dark band of the scale. It absorbs most light, so it works as a deliberate color rather than a quiet background, and it will deepen visibly in a room with only one window.

Worked example

Consider a home office on the west side of a house, with a white desk, a black monitor and a ceiling already painted bright. Software on the wall behind the monitor cuts glare compared with a white wall, since the paint returns well under a quarter of the light. The late sun makes everything warmer, yet a chroma of 0.007 means the gray will take on that glow without turning beige.

The brand lists Site White (SW 7070), Toque White (SW 7003) and Pollen Powder (SW 9014) as coordinating colors. They have no pages on this site, so use the names and codes. Site White or Toque White would be the whites to try on shelves and trim, and Pollen Powder is a gentle accent; check each in a swatch propped against the gray.

Nearby colors

In the same brand, Downing Slate (SW 2819) is ΔE 3.4, related but visible. Retreat (SW 6207) and Steely Gray (SW 7664) are both 6.6, clearly different.

Across brands, Benjamin Moore Wolf Gray (2127-40) is 4.6, Night Train (1567) is 4.8 and Templeton Gray (HC-161) is 4.9. Each falls under 5, so each is a plausible stand-in, though the shift will be visible. Black Pepper (2130-40) at 5.5 is clearly different. Order a sample of any candidate before you buy.

Contrast for digital use

Using #7F8486 as a background, black text measures 5.54:1 and white text 3.78:1. Black is fine for paragraphs, since 4.5:1 is the usual floor, while white only works for large headings at 3:1. For anything small, choose black. A button label or footer link set in white on this hex would be a poor accessibility bet.

Grays with so little chroma are easy to pair with wood tones and metals. Brass tends to look warmer against it and chrome cooler, so check your fixtures beside a sample before you finalize the finish plan.