Buy RAL Colour Charts online

Living in the UK, you must have encountered the RAL Colour standard. Even though it has been invented in Germany, this universal colour system quickly gained worldwide notoriety. If you’re still not quite sure what it is. Here’s a comprehensive guide on RAL Colour charts.

This site is dedicated for introduction, popularization and detailed description of RAL Colour standard. Besides that, it is important to state, that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and this page may link you to products sold on Amazon platform.

Best RAL Colour Charts to buy online

Below are the five leading options to buy RAL Colour chart. All these charts are leading RAL options in the market. Have a detailed sneak peek at the features of each chart and select the one that fits your demands. 

RAL Classic K7 Colour chart


RAL Classic K7 buy online (uk)
Are you renovating your old place and you want some exciting new touch to it? Well, you will be  much better equipped for the task with this excellent RAL Classic colour chart. Don’t worry because this Classic K7 is basically all you need to completely decorate your house! Cool, huh? You could probably stop reading here and start shopping right now, but if you really need to know all there is to know about RAL Colours for house decoration – keep reading.

Talking about the Classic chart, it is designed to last! Both, in terms of hardiness and also style. Classic never goes out of trend and this product gets it, this is why this colour chart has 215 classic RAL Colours (with 2 colours added recently), all in one chart. Now you wouldn’t even have to worry a bit about what colour will go with which one.

The key element in K7 Deck is the emphasis on diversity of shades for each colour. Because each swatch page displays 5 close colour shades. These tabs will definitely help you to visually pick the best colour option with all the choices laid out perfectly in front of you. The sample size of each colour chart is also very smart and manageable, you can perceive the colours and choose from all of them pretty easily. The deck size is also perfect because this is what makes this colour chart pocket-friendly. You won’t have to carry a box of swatch cards like we used to do a while ago.

What I like about this RAL Colour chart is that they have a translation for each colour in a few of the languages and apart from that, they also have a four-digit code that will verify the colour properly so that you don’t get the wrong one. Now you might think that colour names in foreign languages are redundant, but just wait until you’ll come across the perfect shade in a French or German interior catalog! Keep in mind that these shades do matter a lot because once they are on your wall, door or ceiling, you will notice a difference but not if you have the right shade.

Pros and Cons for getting K7 RAL Chart:

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Classic colours - timeless design choice

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Variety of shades is quite sufficient

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Foldable deck, easy to carry while shopping

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As cheap as it gets

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Tightly bound

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Some people consider 2cm x 5cm colour samples too small for accurate judgement

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Strictly limited to 215 colours

RAL K5 Classic

RAL Classic K5 Matt buy online (uk)When you have a big house in hand that is under renovation, you tend to do the best for it, right? Let’s face it, if you have a big house to decorate or a nice old one to renovate, all you want is the best you can get, right? In this case, RAL K5 should be more suitable for you, as you get much larger colour samples along with two options: semi-matte and gloss. This should be sufficient for most of the surfaces! Each room and each trimming will have style and character of your choice.

Each shade from the RAL Classic chart is best represented in RAL K5 Deck. I mean, you don’t even realize what a huge difference is between semi-matt and glossy colour! That is the “real world” effect that RAL K7 Deck simply cannot pass on. This is why it’s better to have two or their colour charts instead of one.

If you are looking for more options, then how about these classic semi-mat colours? This specific RAL Colour chart book has 215 exciting semi-matt colours and let me tell you something, they all look equally delightful. These dark, beautiful and luxurious colours are what you need to make a statement in your home. They will look perfect in places like casual lounges, study and theme rooms, etc. The best part about these semi-matte colours is that all of them are classic so there is no colour in there that you wouldn’t have known or you are new to. This will make it easier for you to choose and pick whatever you like instead of dodging colours here and there.

Also, this K5 Colour deck is superior because each page is dedicated for each classic colour, which will make it easier for you to choose from the 215. You see, having more colours on one page is nice but some prefer bigger samples without other colours on the sides. One more thing I love about these charts is that they have a protective cover for each of these Colours which means that they will look like originals, giving you a perfect palette to choose from.

 

Pros and Cons for getting K5 Classic RAL Chart:

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One colour sample per page (bigger swatches)

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Protective cover to make it more durable and less bendy

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Tightly bound

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Quite compact, but not really pocket size

RAL D2 Design Compartments


RAL Design D2 buy online (uk)
Are you a design professional? Or maybe you just find it hard to pick colours together with your spouse. Even if you just can’t agree on anything, or simply looking for more shades. Seek no more, because you will be making decisions in a jiffy and that is due to this RAL D2 Design compartment. The best part about this colour chart by RAL is the variety of colours that are perfectly organized in this one collection.

There are 225 Colours pages with 1825 colours in total, that’s a lot, right? But this sounds like a hard choice to make then why am I saying that it will be easy? You see it’s because all the colours and all the shades of the colours will be laid in front of you at the same time so you don’t have to waste time flipping a dozen pages for comparison. They are all in front of you so you can pick the best out for yourself.

The Colour and the compartment size are also very compatible according to the choices that are given, you will have no issue in assessing. Not to forget that each colour given has a German name with alternatives in other languages (even Chinese!), this will make it easier for every language speaker to choose and explain to the paint provider properly.

 

Pros and Cons for getting D2 Design RAL Chart:

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Protective cover

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Large set of colours organized conveniently

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Wide range of colours

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Tightly bound

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Colour swatches could be larger

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Not an amateur's price range

RAL K5 Colour fan deck set: Satin and Gloss


RAL Classic K5 gloss and matt buy online (uk)
If you are the kind of person that only adores the matt and gloss when it comes to paints but along with that classic colours are also your thing then this product is definitely for you. The best part about this sort of colour fan book set from RAL is that they have all the classic colours that you will need for your house and around the house along with two main types of colour choices, satin, and gloss.

Now, you can have something for everyone from your little ones to your elders, there will be something in the two sets that will match their vibe and something that they will adore. This way you will be keeping care of everyone’s choices and respecting everyone’s decision. What I love about this RAL K5 Colour fan two-book set is that all the colours are very real and beautiful. Whether it’s semi-matte or even gloss, they look like the real thing which blows my mind away.

Something else I love about these colour book sets is that they have all the colours separately on one page each, this helps you choose easily without having to mix your mind between colours. Other than that, you will love the fact that this book opens like a fan, this way you don’t have to worry about switching pages here and there to go back to the colour you chose. Tightly bound. No possibility of mixing up the colour order or losing a colour sample. Just twist the fan and all the colours will be laid out in front of you, amazing, right?

 

Pros and Cons for getting 2x RAL K5 Set (satin and gloss):

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Twice as many options when you buy glossy+matte set.

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Wide range of colours

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Tightly bound

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Twice as many samples but no additional colours

RAL K1 Booklet


RAL Classic K1 buy online (uk)
Some might say that the worst possible thing about a colour book is having to switch between pages to see shades and colours here and there to find the perfect colour. With this in mind RAL K1 offers quite an interesting way to bring different colours closer together with this unique page binding.  Along with providing exceptional quality in colours, they also give you amazing presentation option with this unique booklet designed to be easy for you to choose the right match between different colour groups. This RAL K1 is one of their best products when it comes to colour books. What I love best about this product is the fun and easy-going size and shape of this booklet.

The design is so fun, you can easily flip the pages up and down. The shape is also pretty so it looks aesthetically pleasing wherever you keep it. Also did I mention that this book we are talking about has all the colours and all of them comes from RAL Classic chart? Yes, that’s amazing, right? The classic colours are great – most suppliers and manufacturers use them. There are so many classic colour choices that you can choose from! There are different shades of every single colour so you won’t have any issues if you don’t like the main shade available.

The best part about this book is that there are at least several varieties of similar colours on the same page which will make it easier for you to compare shades and pick what you like. Apart from that, there are also many choices you can pick from easily and make your decisions much easier.

 

Pros and Cons for getting K1 RAL Booklet:

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Original way to browse and match colours

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Full RAL Classic range of colours

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Good quality swatches

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Pages can tear


What is RAL Colour System?

RAL is nothing but a colour matching system. In the world of varnishing, coating, and painting, it is pretty popular. German State Commission is the manufacturer and quality maintainer of this system.

Be it Europe or any other region: All have their specific Colour systems. We can’t say which Colour system is used in your region. But the one that is leading in European is definitely non-other than the RAL Colour system.

Way before you could pick up RAL Classic chart at your local paint store, there was RAL-840 Colour system. It was first introduced back in 1927 with a total number of 40 Colours. After the addition of R-tint, the system was relabeled as RAL-840 R. Due to the increasing demand, in 1960, 210 Colours were further added & the RAL Colour chart system was revised as RAL-840 HR.

Today, after several further revisions, the essential RAL Colour collection holds 2530 colours:

Design Chart contains 1825 shades, RAL Classic has 215 shades, and 490 shades in the RAL EFFECT collection. All these shades are different from each other because of the collection criterion and rules for colour inclusion.

When do we need a Colour chart?

So you are a home builder or a new house owner. Well, that is pretty cool & satisfying. But don’t you think the house looks a bit off with the cement coloured walls and floors? That is the time when colour charts came into play!

Every retailer will start asking about colour standards as soon as you’ll cross the doorstep of any painting or decoration supplies shop. So you’ll better be prepared to answer which shade of pink you want from which specific standard. “Salmon sunrise” – jinkies, what is that?

Colour charts help in understanding different shades of one single colour and which one will match the theme of your room. Not only to paint walls or roofs, but you can also use the colour charts for varnishing pieces of furniture, tiling the floor and even building fences!

Here’s why there RAL Colours are so popular

Our home is our haven and sanctuary for us. Most people, like you and me, try our best to make the most out of their homes and decorate them in the finest ways possible. The best way to furnish your home is by picking the right sort of colours to fill and complete your home. Try adding different contrasts and shades of colours, that will add a sort of character to your home and vibe.  But to choose the best colour for your home and your space, you would need any medium through which you can easily decide what to pick for your home and that is where RAL Colour charts come in.

You get a complete colour wheel of all the primary and basic colours along with the shades, to judge what will go better where. With a colour chart, you have no issue picking contrasts and seeing what colour will go where. You can easily decide what colour you want the door to be when your room’s walls are a specific colour. The best part about having a colour chart when working on your house is that you will never turn your house into a circus or a bad paint job. You will always have an idea of what colour you will put where and what sort of colours you have used already in your home. A colour chart should be your priority when starting with house renovations rather than anything else. So go get yours now!

Is RAL the same as Pantone?

Pantone is a proprietary sort of colour that is mostly used in fabrics, paints, printing, and by graphic designers on different applications.

It’s a common misconception that RAL is the same as Pantone or even HEX Colour, or that these colours are somehow interchangeable. And while that idea being true would definitely make our life easier at least sometimes, but unfortunately that is not the case. Now there might be different RAL shades that you might be interested in converting into Pantone for a better colour combination or maybe a prettier and more interesting outcome. There are ways that you can convert your Pantone into RAL, the very simple ones are firstly by calculating, you can do that easily online. You see there are different and certain codes that are given to all, Pantone, HEX and RAL Colours. You can very easily type those down and convert them into a RAL Colour from a Pantone. Yep, it’s that easy. Just do a quick search “Convert from ral to pantone” and you’ll get some useful online tools.

Difference between RAL and RGB Colour Charts

You are not the first one, nor the last one who is confused between RGB and RAL Colour systems. Well, their names may sound similar, but in function, they both are way different.

RGB Colour System

The Colour system that makes our digital media world Colourful is the RGB Colour system. This system is based on the three primary Colours; Red, Blue, and Green. All other Colours of this system are crafted from these three Colours. The Colours of RGB range between 0-255. RGB is a light additive Colour system. Starting with streams of Red, Blue, and Green Colours, designers on the black screen design eye-catching graphics. The most Colourful images and graphics we saw on the screen are a result of the RGB Colour system. But before practicing the RGB Colour system, it is crucial to understand that every monitor has a specific Colour setting. Pinning down the Colours is perplexing because it will affect how the Colours look on the screen. The frequent use of RGB includes;

Cameras

Digital cameras with CCD image sensors mostly use an RGB Colour system. This system helps the digital cameras to perform according to the light intensity. This practice optimizes the image according to light exposure.

Scanner

Here, by the scanner, we mean to say about the image sensor that works on the principles of the RGB Colour system. These sensors read data and convert it into a Colour system algorithm.

Computer Graphics

Aforementioned, the chief use of the RGB Colour system is in computer graphics. Three simple primary Colours create new graphics according to users’ demands.

Television

Back in 1928, the first computer with an RGB Colour system was created. This technology was successful for an extended period. Now, some changes are made in the same model.

RAL Colour System

The Colour system we used to Colour our walls, roofs, and furniture is the RAL Colour system. Without this RAL Colour chart buy UK, your walls and furniture, and nothing except dull boring pieces.  The frequent uses of RAL Colour charts are;

For Furniture

The secret behind shiny and up-to-date furniture is non-other than RAL Colour charts. The varnish collection of RAL Colours is simply breath-taking and the perfect option you can choose. 

Automotive

Yes, you heard it right. Even the Colour used in tuning and shading the automotive is RAL. Specific Colour charts are available that perfectly paint the automobiles. 

Walls

This use is pretty standard. After pasting the primer layer on the walls, UK citizens use RAL Colour charts to paint their walls.

Buying Guide For RAL Colour Charts

Before you ask where can I buy a RAL Colour chart & how to buy it, here is the buying guide. This buying guide will cover all the necessary elements you need to know before investing in the RAL Colours. 

Understand All Pallets

Before going to the market to buy RAL Colour chart UK, you have to understand the purpose of different colour pallets. For furniture, you have other options. Similarly, for walls and metal, you have other options. You can’t use a single pallet to colour all items.

For example, car tuning shops simply adore these RAL Colours:

  • RAL 9022
  • RAL 9023
  • RAL 9021
  • RAL 7023
  • RAL 7016
  • RAL 7008
  • RAL 6038
  • RAL 6025
  • RAL 6011
  • RAL 5014

These RAL Colours are the perfect option for automobiles. They are durable, elegant and great looking on most of the car models.

RAL Classic or RAL Design?

Here is one of the greatest debates of the colour charts. The UK population selects shades from these two colour charts. But when it is about choosing between classic or design charts, here is when the battles start. If you have ever visited the public forums, you will find different people have different opinions regarding which one is the best. Choosing which one is the best option depends on your use. RAL Design is actually oriented to professional use, focusing on varnishing furniture, painting walls & roof.

This RAL Colour chart has 1825 shades with a four-digit code according to the standards of the CIELab system. The variety of colours is simply dedicated to serve industrial needs. With this in mind, not all retails paint sellers offer pre-mixed paint RAL Design colours. Most of them stick to RAL Classic when it comes to home users. On the flip side of the coin, RAL Classic is more hoby-decorator friendly. This RAL Colour chart is a widespread standard amongst home owners and their local paint sellers simply recognize this standard and are ready to serve the needs.

Buying for Home or Other Purpose?

The last thing to check is the purpose to buy RAL Colour chart. Once you are sure what your purpose of buying the chart is, you can make a reliable decision. Even better, if you read the manual guide of the charts.  The manual guide lets you decide on which option you should select according to your needs. Conclusion With this long but informational RAL Purchasing guide, we hope that now you are clear about all aspects regarding RAL Colour charts. Just do your own small research and you can find answers to everything. You can easily obtain any RAL Colour chart online, don’t worry, there are not too many to choose from.

And remember, most of the products are already listed above on this page. So feel free to browse them and purchase the best option. Before investing in the RAL Colour charts, sneak peek at the buying guide mentioned above. The mentioned buying guide has covered all the aspects you need to consider while buying the charts. There should be no more confusion regarding RGB and RAL as you have got the answer. Lastly, buy the charts, Colour your walls and home interior, and share your experience in the comment section below.  Lastly, don’t forget to enjoy and have fun with all these Colours!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between RAL Classic and RAL Design? The key difference between these charts is the purpose and the target user. RAL Classic is mostly for residential use, while RAL Design is for industrial use. With this in mind, there are no specific limitations or anything, but are much more likely to find colours in RAL Classic than come across something like a spraypaint can in RAL Design shades.

What is the difference between RAL Classic and RAL effect? Just like RAL design and classic, the same scenario is here. RAL effect is a collection of metallic colours best suited to represent how painted metal surfaces look (like a bike frame, steel beam or sheet. While on the other hand, the RAL Classic is for wood paint, spray paint, mailbox, fence, roofing tiles etc. 

Does the coding of each RAL Colour chart is the same? No, all charts have their specific distinguishable coding based on the standards of the CIELab system. The reason for different coding is effortless recognition.