RAL, BS 4800 and NCS colour references

At a glance

Counts and numbering from RAL's FAQ and the BSI listings, read 5 November 2026. Conversions between systems are approximate: see the section on converting.

What each reference can and cannot do

RAL gGmbH does not make paint. Its FAQ says RAL does not sell or manufacture coatings, and that its three collections are independent of each other. Powder makers and paint makers mix to a RAL reference: the reference is the target, not the product.

• RAL Classic. 216 colours with four-digit numbers. The first digit is systematic, running from 1 for yellow to 9 for white and black, and the other three are assigned in turn. Some trade pages still say 213.
• RAL Design System plus. 1,825 colours based on the CIE L*a*b* system (DIN EN ISO 11664-4), with seven-digit numbers: three digits for hue, then lightness, then chroma. RAL 270 30 20 is a dark blue.
• RAL Effect. 490 colours, 70 of them metallic and 420 plain, including 100 of the most popular Classic colours. RAL notes that its most frequent use is industrial powder coating.
• BS 4800. BSI withdrew BS 4800:2011, Schedule of paint colours for building purposes, on 5 November 2024, and its page names no replacement. Some standards resellers still show it as current. Where an old drawing says BS 4800, treat it as a reference to an existing colour and match from a sample.
• BS 381C. BSI lists BS 381C SET:1996 (R2002) as current: 91 colours, each with colourimetric data, for identification, coding and special purposes, often used where safety, legal or contractual requirements call for a named colour. Standards New Zealand's listing adds that they are not a coordinated range and not limited to any medium. It is not a palette for interiors.
• NCS. A colour system based on how colours look. A notation such as S 2030-Y90R reads backwards: the hue (Y90R is mostly red, with a little yellow), then chromaticness (30) and blackness (20). The S shows the colour is in the standard collection.

Naming a colour so it cannot be misread

A colour reference answers one question: which hue? A coater needs five more answers, or two coaters can both be right and still not match. Write all six into the specification.

1. Colour. The system, the number and the collection: RAL Classic 7016, not “anthracite”.
2. Made by. The powder or paint maker and its product code. A powder maker's technical sheet says powders are formulated to colour standards such as RAL, but that complete batch-to-batch consistency cannot be guaranteed. Naming the product lets a later order use the same one.
3. Gloss. Gloss units at a stated angle, with a tolerance, not a word. See the next section.
4. Texture. Smooth, fine or coarse. Texture changes how a colour and its gloss read, and the gloss standard does not cover textured coatings.
5. Effect and batch. Plain or metallic, and one batch for each visible run. Reorders should quote the original batch number.
6. Proof. An approved sample on the real metal, dated and kept, that governs if the numbers and the sample disagree.

Printed charts and screens do not settle a colour. RAL says that four-colour printing does not reproduce all RAL shades in their true colour, and that printed charts are guides: its binding templates are RAL 840-HR, RAL 841-GL and RAL E1.

Gloss: say it in gloss units, at an angle

Matt, satin and gloss are not fixed bands. Gloss is measured with a glossmeter in gloss units (GU) at a stated angle. BS EN ISO 2813:2014 gives the method at 20, 60 or 85 degrees, and per the BSI listing it is suitable for non-textured coatings on plane, opaque substrates. On other specimens, comparative readings are possible, but the numbers may not match what the eye sees.

The usual angle is 60 degrees. A PCI Magazine article on gloss units notes that 85 degrees separates low-gloss surfaces better (below 10 GU at 60 degrees) and 20 degrees separates high-gloss ones (above 70 GU at 60 degrees). Always say the angle.

The words differ between suppliers, as the chart shows. The same part of the scale is “medium” in one list, “semi-glossy” in another and “satin” in a third.

Tolerance, and what the eye can see

The eye is more sensitive to a gloss difference on a matt surface than on a glossy one. The PCI article says a 3 GU difference is visible on a matt surface near 5 GU but extremely difficult to notice near 60 GU, and suggests setting tolerances with samples reviewed by the client or an expert.

PCI's comparison table (March 2021) lists the gloss tolerances in two architectural powder-coating schemes. Qualicoat's tests allow ±5 at 0 to 30, ±7 at 31 to 70 and ±10 at 71 to 100, and the GSB scheme allows ±5 GU for 2 to 15 GU, ±10 for 16 to 60 and ±15 above 60. Those are approval-test limits on test panels, not what a project must demand. They do show the shape of a sensible tolerance: tighter at the matt end, wider as the surface gets glossier. A call-out such as 30 GU ±5 at 60 degrees sits inside that pattern.

For a textured finish, do not rely on a meter reading at all: agree the gloss by the approved sample.

Cautions that are specific to metal

• Metallic and pearl powders. A powder maker's sheet says batch-to-batch consistency is comparable to plain powders but not guaranteed, and that the application process and equipment also change the colour and effect. It asks that a whole job be run on the same line at the same settings, advises upper and lower tolerance samples before production, and says coating by hand is likely to vary. Where panels sit side by side, all must be coated in the same orientation so the effect matches. Outdoors, a clear top coat is usually needed.
• Film thickness. The same sheet notes that variations in coating thickness cause colour and effect differences. Ask the coater how it controls thickness on edges and returns.
• Anodised, PVD and coloured stainless. These colours are not RAL. Euro Inox notes that EN 10088-2 designates coloured flat stainless as finish 2L, that the standard does not stipulate specific colours, and that colour is agreed between specifier and supplier. Samples should be viewed under the lighting at the building.
• Real metal, real light. Approve the colour and gloss together on the actual part or a sample of the same metal, not on a chart, and see it under the project lighting. Chart and screen are only the starting point.

The finishes themselves are covered in our sheets on stainless finish codes, PVD coatings and ironmongery finish codes, and care of coated metal is on cleaning and maintaining metal finishes.

Converting between systems

We found no official conversion between RAL and BS 4800, or between either and NCS, in the sources we read. The tables published online are nearest-match lists made by paint makers and converters. Treat one as a way to start a conversation, not as a specification.

• For a new job, name the reference the coater will actually mix to. For powder coat that is usually RAL Classic. Name an NCS or other reference as design intent, with a sample.
• To match old BS 4800 work, take the existing painted surface as the reference. Ask for a spectrophotometer reading of it, agree a colour-difference tolerance (ΔE) and the light it is judged under, have the coater make a panel on the real metal at the right gloss, and approve the panel.
• Colour difference (ΔE) is an instrument number for how far apart two colours are. It is only useful with a tolerance and a light source agreed in writing.

Finish: polyester powder coat, colour [RAL 7016] (RAL Classic), by [powder manufacturer], product [reference]. Gloss [30] GU [+/- 5] at 60 degrees to EN ISO 2813 (edition [ ]) on a plain flat panel. Texture [smooth]. One batch for the visible run [batch no.]. Approved sample [ref. __] governs.

Finish: [metallic] polyester powder coat, [RAL ____ / maker's reference]. One visible run on the same line, at the same settings, in the same orientation, from one batch. Tolerance samples [ref. __] approved before production. Textured gloss judged by sample, not meter.

Colour to match the existing [metalwork, formerly BS 4800 ref. __, a withdrawn standard]. Contractor to take a [spectrophotometer reading] at [location], propose the nearest [RAL / maker] reference and submit a coated panel on [the specified metal]. Tolerance [dE not more than __] under [light source].

Colour is defined by approved sample [ref. __], not by RAL. The finisher is to state the process, the sample's colour reference and the batch.

Standards and sources

• RAL gGmbH, FAQ (collections, numbering, printed charts)
• BSI Knowledge, BS 4800:2011 (withdrawn 5 Nov 2024)
• BSI Knowledge, BS 381C SET:1996 (R2002) (current)
• BS EN ISO 2813:2014, gloss at 20, 60 and 85 degrees: scope from a listing; text not read.
• PCI, Architectural Specification Comparison (March 2021)
• PCI Magazine, Understanding Gloss Standards and Units (2022)
• Euro Inox, Colouring Stainless Steel, Vol. 16 (2011); NCS Colour AB overview
• Powder makers' sheets and trade pages: named in the working notes.

Questions we are asked

Is BS 4800 still current?

No. BSI lists BS 4800:2011 as withdrawn on 5 November 2024 and names no replacement on its page, although some standards resellers still show it as current. Colours from it still appear on older specifications and some paint fans, so match to a physical sample.

What is the difference between RAL Classic and RAL Design System plus?

RAL Classic has 216 colours with four-digit numbers and is the usual reference for powder coat. RAL Design System plus has 1,825 colours with seven-digit hue, lightness and chroma numbers on a CIE L*a*b* basis. RAL Effect adds 490 colours, 70 of them metallic. RAL says the collections are independent of each other.

Can I convert RAL 7016 to BS 4800 or NCS?

Not officially. We found no published conversion in the sources we read. Online tables are nearest-match lists. Name the reference the coater will mix to, and approve a physical sample on the real metal.

What gloss level is satin?

There is no fixed answer. One powder maker's list calls 51 to 70 GU semi-glossy, another calls 31 to 74 medium, and an aluminium coater puts satin at 60 to 70. Ask for a number: gloss units at 60 degrees with a tolerance.

How do I specify gloss on powder-coated metal?

Give gloss units, the angle and the standard, for example 30 GU, plus or minus 5, at 60 degrees to EN ISO 2813, on a plain panel. For a textured finish, agree gloss by the approved sample because the standard covers non-textured coatings.

Does a RAL number define gloss?

No. It identifies a colour. RAL's FAQ addresses colour, not gloss, and an aluminium coater's guide says to state the gloss level because the code defines only the hue.

Why does the same RAL colour look different on two metal items?

Different makers' powders, different batches, a different gloss or texture, metallic flakes lying in a different direction, and different film thickness can all move the result. Fix the maker, the batch, the gloss, the orientation and an approved sample.