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RAL 2005 Luminous orange

A mid-toned, strong red on screen. First published on this chart 26 March 2013.

This swatch is a screen approximation of the colour. Check a physical RAL fan deck or a painted sample of the actual product before you order or match anything.

Approximate screen values for RAL 2005
Hex (sRGB)#FF2300
RGB255, 35, 0
HSL8°, 100%, 50%
CMYK (naive)0, 86, 100, 0
CIE Lab (from sRGB)54.5, 76.4, 67.7
Relative luminance22.5%
Text contrastwhite text 3.8:1, black text 5.5:1

Values are derived from the approximate hex above. CMYK is a simple conversion, not a print recipe: printers convert through their own profiles. Luminance is a screen figure, not a measured light reflectance value (LRV) from a paint data sheet.

How RAL 2005 reads

Screens fall well short with luminous orange: the red orange shown here is only a rough stand in for a fluorescent paint that seems to glow in daylight. The real thing is much stronger than RAL 2004 pure orange or RAL 2009 traffic orange.

Where it turns up

Fluorescent orange is used for high visibility marking, warning signs, temporary barriers and safety equipment. A screen cannot show fluorescence, so check a real sample; it needs a white base and fades in sunlight sooner than ordinary oranges.

Working with luminous orange

Luminous orange is one of the few RAL Classic colours where the screen swatch is close to useless. The paint uses fluorescent pigment, which takes in part of the light falling on it and gives it back as visible orange, so in daylight it seems brighter than its surroundings. A monitor can only show ordinary emitted light, so the swatch on this page is a placeholder. Judge the colour from a physical card or a painted sample, never from a photo.

When ordering, ask for RAL 2005 by number and say where it will be used, because fluorescent paints are made for particular jobs: aerosol marking paint, brush paint for signs and some powder coatings. Not every supplier stocks a fluorescent version in every product type, and a standard orange mixed to a similar hue will never glow. Ask plainly whether the product is genuinely fluorescent.

Fluorescent colours need a white base. Over grey primer or bare metal the glow drops sharply, so plan the system like this:

  • a primer suited to the substrate (steel, aluminium, timber or plastic)
  • a clean white undercoat or basecoat
  • two or more thin coats of the fluorescent orange
  • a clear topcoat with UV protection if the maker recommends one

Fluorescent pigments fade in sunlight faster than ordinary pigments. Outdoors, expect the glow to weaken over time and plan to repaint or replace marked items more often than you would with a standard orange. Keep spare paint from the same batch for touch ups.

Common uses are high visibility marking, temporary signs, site and survey marking, safety details on equipment and the occasional decorative accent. It pairs well with black, with dark greys such as RAL 7016 anthracite grey, and with white; all three make the glow look stronger.

To check a sample, look at it outdoors on an overcast day and again in full sun, then under the lighting where it will actually be seen. Hold it next to an ordinary orange such as RAL 2004 pure orange. The difference should be obvious at a glance. If it is not, the product may not be fluorescent at all, and it is better to find that out on a test card than on the finished job.

Ordering RAL 2005 in paint or powder

Quote the number, not just the name: say "RAL Classic 2005" and add the gloss level, the product type (wall paint, metal paint, powder, aerosol) and the surface. The same number mixed by two makers, or in two gloss levels, can look slightly different, so keep a whole job in one batch and look at a sample in daylight first. The paint counter guide covers the questions to ask.

Colour notes that mention RAL 2005