Chart / 5000 series / RAL 5017 Traffic blue
A dark, moderately strong blue on screen. First published on this chart 15 February 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.
| Hex (sRGB) | #0E518D |
|---|---|
| RGB | 14, 81, 141 |
| HSL | 208°, 82%, 30% |
| CMYK (naive) | 90, 43, 0, 45 |
| CIE Lab (from sRGB) | 33.8, 3.9, -38.7 |
| Relative luminance | 7.9% |
| Text contrast | white text 8.1:1, black text 2.6:1 |
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.
Traffic blue is a saturated, mid dark blue made to read well on signs, close to RAL 5005 signal blue but a touch greener. It is clean and slightly cool.
It is used on signs, municipal equipment, machinery and doors. Gloss keeps it clean for longer; use a grey primer on bare metal.
Quote the number, not just the name: say "RAL Classic 5017" 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.
A hex code is a screen value, handy for websites and mockups but never a paint formula. What it tells you, why charts disagree and how to find the nearest RAL.
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