RAL

Colour as a tool

Encompassing approximately 2,500 standardised hues, the RAL colour chart has emerged as one of the world’s most essential colour standards. Conceived in the 1920s to standardise industrial paints, RAL has since evolved into a definitive reference system spanning design, architecture, industry, and craftsmanship—a vast repository of possibilities that serves as the foundation for RAL’s role as mediator between technical precision and creative freedom.

“You can’t not use colour in design,” observes Laura Kilian of RAL gGmbH—paraphrasing communication scientist Paul Watzlawick with characteristic wit. Every design decision invariably constitutes a choice for or against a particular colour; even deliberate omission conveys meaning. Colour is never neutral. “We concei[1]ve of colour not as a rigid set of prescriptions, but as an instrumental tool,” explains Markus Frentrop, head of the Colours division at RAL. “Our colours begin as abstract entities, only achieving their fullest expression through concrete application.”

Whether in architecture, interior design, product design, graphics, fashion, or mobility, colour serves as a unifying force across disciplines. RAL positions itself precisely at this intersection: between standard and expression, between technical reproducibility and individual signature. “We envision ourselves as the nexus between rigorous standards and creative design,” Frentrop notes. “Standards provide creative practitioners with certainty. Regardless of methodology, material, or stylistic approach, one knows what foundation exists for reference.” Thus, the paradox becomes integral to the mission: “We embody the standard—yet the possibilities it engenders are boundless.”

Not all blues are the same

“If we tried to describe 2,500 shades of colour using language alone, we would have a massive communica[1]tion problem,” says Laura Kilian. “A ‘medium blue’ can mean something different to everyone. RAL 5015 sky blue, on the other hand, is unambiguous.” Standardisa[1]tion creates understanding and a certain linguistic ability because it translates subjective perception into objective references—and thus becomes the foundation of profes[1]sional design. This precision is becoming increasingly important, especially in a globalised working world.

“Contemporary project teams are international, in[1]tercultural, and dispersed across time zones,” Kilian explains. “This amplifies complexity considerably. Nevertheless, colour must retain universal comprehen[1]sion.” RAL ensures consistency throughout the entire value chain—from initial concept to serial production—not merely through colour standards, but through comprehensive training, consultation, and technical expertise.

There is often a long way between the digital design and the physical product. “How do I transfer a colour from the screen to metal, plastic, or textile? Does it even work? And if so, how reproducible is it?” This is exactly where RAL comes in: as a translator between vision and materiality.

Trends with depth

Sustainability has long constituted an integral compo[1]nent of the design mandate. Yet a chasm persists between aspiration and reality. “We observe that sustainability is demanded, yet few prove willing to bear its costs,” Frentrop remarks. “Public tenders particularly exemplify this contradiction—requiring environmentally conscious materials while insisting upon minimal expenditure.” This contradiction bears particular weight upon the creative industries. RAL has maintained decades of engagement in awarding eco-labels such as the Blue Angel and EU Ecolabel, cultivating intimate familiarity with these structural challenges. “This renders formats such as mcbw all the more vital,” Frentrop emphasises. “They sustain focus upon the issue, create spaces for meaningful discourse, and remind us that sustainable design represents not luxury, but a prerequisite for future viability.”

Regarding the future: while many brands annually proclaim a “colour of the year,” RAL pursues a distincty different philosophy. No fleeting trends, no ephemeral marketing effects. “We cultivate a colour space comprising 15 shades that evolves organically over time,” Kilian explains. “Colours endure, undergo adaptation, receive supplementation, and achieve further refinement.” The annual RAL Colour Feeling Trend Report derives from rigorous social, technological, and cultural analyses, yielding thematic worlds and colour palettes designed for sustained application. “We seek to demonstrate that one may build upon existing foundations. Annual reinvention proves unnecessary.” Simultaneously, Laura Kilian underscores the primacy of context. “A colour never operates in isolation. It flourishes through interplay with material, light, space, and environment. This is precisely why reductive trend slogans prove inadequate.”

Come and Play: Learning through experimentation

As part of mcbw, RAL is hosting workshops entitled “Come and Play”—a deliberate reference to this year’s motto. “We want to encourage a playful approach to colour,” says Frentrop. “Without pressure to perform, without ready-made solutions.” In cooperation with material partner Gabriel, the colour standard is translated directly into the material. Participants experiment, combine, and test. “We want to create an open, relaxed atmosphere,” where the focus is not on the result but on the process. And here RAL returns to the essence of the colour chart: it is a system that translates complexity, provides orientation, and enables design. A toolbox for conscious decisions. “We open up the space of possibilities,” says Frentrop. “We expand it.”

The article on RAL also appears in mcbw magazine 2026.

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