Farrow & Ball

Tar

No. CC1

Tar is a dark gray with a neutral undertone that stops just short of true black. Its LRV of 32.5 places it in the lower-mid range of reflectance, meaning it absorbs most light but retains enough surface visibility to show texture and sheen differences. It is commonly used on front doors, accent walls, and exterior metalwork where a strong dark tone is needed.

Off-Black and Railings sit in a similar depth range for tonal combinations, while Wimborne White or Pointing create a sharp contrast when used on surrounding trim or walls.

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Brand

Farrow & Ball

Code

No. CC1

Tar in Different Light

Light temperature is measured in Kelvin: a warm 2700K bulb pulls colors toward yellow, while 5000K daylight reads cooler and truer. Check the color at the time of day you actually use the room.

Artificial Lighting

Bedroom scene to simulate Farrow & Ball Tar under artificial light

Light Temperature: 2700K

Natural Lighting

Living room scene to simulate Farrow & Ball Tar under natural light

Light Temperature: 4500K

Technical Specifications

Undertones

Type

Red

Strength

Very Low

Temperature

neutral

Hue Angle

0°

Red Family

Lightness

33%

Dark

Saturation

Near Neutral

LRV

32.5

0%100%

Very Dark

Dark

Medium

Light

Very Light

White

LRV measures how much light a color reflects, from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white). Below about 50 a color needs good lighting to avoid going flat, 60 and up helps brighten a room, and most whites sit above 80.

Color Position

Saturation →

Lightness →

Color Codes

HEX

#535353

RGB Decimal

83, 83, 83

RGB Percent

32.5%, 32.5%, 32.5%

HSL

0.0, 0.0%, 32.5%

HSV

0.0, 0.0%, 32.5%

CMYK

0.0%, 0.0%, 0.0%, 67.5%

YIQ

83.0, -0.0, 0.0

XYZ

8.22, 8.65, 9.42

CIE Lab

35.30, 0.00, -0.00

CIE Luv

35.30, 0.00, -0.01

Hunter Lab

29.41, 0.00, -0.00

Decimal

5460819

Coordinating Colors and Color Palettes

Darker Shades

Monochromatic dark

Tar Liquorice Black Magic Smelt Black

Lighter Shades

Monochromatic light

Tar Nature Walk Plum Smoke Ganymede

Complementary

Opposite on color wheel

Tar Knight's Armor Starless Sky Cresting Waves

Analogous

Adjacent colors

Tar Iron Mountain Black Elegance Forged Steel

Closest Paint Matches

Cross-brand matches are close, never exact. Each brand uses different bases and sheens, so sample before you buy gallons.

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Behr

Carbon Copy

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Farrow & Ball

Hopper Head

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Benjamin Moore

Iron Mountain

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Behr

Cracked Pepper

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Behr

Space Black

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Valspar

to the Tarmac

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Behr

Orion Gray

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Behr

Satin Black

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Benjamin Moore

Ashwood Moss

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Valspar

Muted Ebony

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Benjamin Moore

Almost Black

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Benjamin Moore

Westcott Navy

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Valspar

Semi Sweet

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Valspar

Veiled Vinyl

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Behr

Alpine Trail

Farrow & Ball

Tar

Sherwin Williams

Perle Noir