Technical 5 March 2026 6-minute read

Corporate RAL colours for posts: when and how to specify

The colour of a post is a branding decision rather than a product one. In corporate installations, the post must blend seamlessly into the project’s colour palette. The RAL chart is the standard technical language for specifying this colour. These are the nuances that matter.

What is RAL and why is it the standard

RAL is the European colour system comprising around 213 standard colours (K7 Classic series). Each colour has a fixed numerical code that any industrial paint manufacturer can reproduce faithfully. It is the common language between designer, manufacturer and painter.

RAL Classic vs RAL Design vs RAL Effect

We work with all three series. Classic covers the most common colours (RAL 9005 deep black, RAL 9016 traffic white, RAL 7016 anthracite grey). Design expands the range with 1,625 intermediate colours. Effect adds metallic finishes. Ask us which system your project uses for an exact match.

The ten most popular RAL colours for posts

We see these week in, week out: 9005 (Jet Black), 9011 (Graphite Black), 9016 (Traffic White), 7016 (Anthracite Grey), 7021 (Charcoal Grey), 3020 (traffic red), 5015 (sky blue), 1023 (traffic yellow), 6005 (moss green), 9006 (white aluminium). These cover 80% of corporate projects.

Oven-baked lacquer vs standard paint

We use powder coating applied in an oven at 180 °C. This is the industrial technique that guarantees durability and resistance to impact, UV light and cleaning products. Minimum lifespan of 10 years without visible colour fading.

Physical sample prior to production

For large projects or critical colours, we produce an aluminium strip coated in the specified RAL colour and send it to the client for physical approval. Cost: free for confirmed orders; €30 for non-binding enquiries.

Specifying a non-RAL colour

If the company has a Pantone corporate colour (common among younger brands), we translate it to the closest RAL or mix a specific colour. For large batches (over 500 posts) we can mix paint to the exact Pantone shade.

RAL is the universal language and reduces communication errors between designers and manufacturers. Specifying the correct RAL in the project brief from the tender stage saves weeks of back-and-forth.