Grey

Grey is an intermediate color located between black and white. It is classified as a neutral or achromatic color. This means it has no chroma, which is a measure of color saturation.

You can find this color in many natural objects, such as ash, lead, or storm clouds. While the color is the same, people use two different spellings. In American English, the spelling "gray" is more common. In European and Commonwealth English, "grey" is the dominant spelling. Both versions are considered valid in both varieties of English.

In nature, the appearance of clouds depends heavily on their depth. Small, fluffy clouds in the summer appear white. This happens because tiny water droplets scatter sunlight toward your eyes. However, as clouds become larger and thicker, the light cannot penetrate through them. Instead, the light reflects off the top of the cloud. During thunderstorms, clouds can reach heights of 20,000 to 30,000 feet. These massive clouds look very dark grey from the ground.

If you view these same clouds from an airplane, they look perfectly white.

History shows that grey has held different social meanings over time. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, grey was the color of undyed wool. Because of this, it was the color most commonly worn by peasants and the poor. Certain religious groups also used it as a symbol. Cistercian monks and various friars wore grey to represent vows of humility and poverty. In England and Scotland, Franciscan friars were often called the "grey friars." This name is still attached to many locations in Great Britain today.

During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, grey became important in fashion and art. Artists used a specific technique called grisaille. In this method, a painter first composes a work using only grey and white. This layer provides the necessary shading for the image. The artist then adds thin, transparent glazes of color on top. Sometimes, the grisaille is left uncovered to make the painting look like carved stone. Famous painters like Rembrandt and El Greco used grey to highlight faces and costumes. Rembrandt created warm greys by mixing black pigments with lead white or lime.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, grey became a highly fashionable color. It looked luminous when used on silk and satin fabrics for the nobility. In the mid-19th century, the grey business suit appeared in London. This replaced the more colorful clothing worn by men earlier in the century. In Paris, women working in factories were often called "grisettes," which means grey girls. Grey also became common in military uniforms. For example, the Confederate Army used grey during the American Civil War. The Prussian Army also used it for active service wear starting in 1910.

Human hair changes color through a biological process involving pigment. The color of our hair comes from a pigment called melanin. This pigment is found in the core of each hair. Specialized cells called melanocytes are located in each hair follicle. As hair grows, these cells inject melanin into the hair cells. These hair cells are made of a protein called keratin. Eventually, the amount of melanin injected by the melanocytes reduces or stops. This happens due to age or genetic factors. When the hair lacks pigment, it turns grey or white. Among Caucasians, roughly 50 percent are 50 percent grey by age 50.

Modern technology uses specific models to create grey on screens and paper. On televisions and computers, the RGB color model is used. This model uses red, green, and blue light. When these three colors are combined at the same intensity, they create grey. In printing, the CMYK color model is the standard. This model uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. Printers create grey by using black ink at a lower density. They can also mix cyan, magenta, and yellow in specific proportions. Most greys have a "warm" or "cool" cast. Adding red or yellow creates a warm grey, while adding blue or green creates a cool grey.