NCS — Natural Color System

What Is NCS?

The Natural Color System (NCS) is a perceptual color model developed by the Scandinavian Colour Institute (now NCS Colour AB) in Stockholm, Sweden. Based on how humans actually perceive color rather than how pigments mix, NCS defines colors by their visual resemblance to six elementary colors: white, black, yellow, red, blue, and green.

NCS is the standard color specification system in Sweden, Norway, Spain, and South Africa, and is widely used across Scandinavia and Europe for architectural and interior design projects.

How NCS Notation Works

An NCS color is described with a notation like NCS S 2030-Y90R:

• S — Indicates "second edition" (the standardized version)
• 20 — Blackness (percentage of black)
• 30 — Chromaticness (color saturation intensity)
• Y90R — Hue: 90% between Yellow and Red (i.e., a strong orange-red)

This system makes it intuitive to understand a color's lightness, saturation, and hue from its code alone, without needing a physical sample.

NCS in Architecture and Paint

NCS is deeply embedded in Scandinavian architecture and building standards. Many major European paint manufacturers can mix paints to NCS specifications:

• Jotun — Norwegian paint manufacturer; uses NCS as a primary reference system
• Tikkurila — Finnish paint company; offers NCS color matching across their range
• Alcro-Beckers — Swedish paint brand; entire palette mapped to NCS
• Dulux/AkzoNobel — Can mix to NCS specifications at many European locations

Where to Buy NCS Products Online

• NCS Colour Official Shop — Buy NCS Index fan decks, sample sheets, and digital tools directly from the source.
• MyPerfectColor.com — Custom paint matched to NCS color codes, available in spray paint and wall paint formulations.

Key Characteristics

• 1,950 standardized colors in the NCS Index
• Based on human color perception (not pigment mixing)
• Notation reveals color properties at a glance
• Standard in Scandinavian and Spanish architecture
• Widely adopted by European paint manufacturers
• Internationally recognized standard (ISO 11664)

Best For

Architectural color specification, Scandinavian design projects, situations requiring a systematic and logical approach to color selection, and cross-manufacturer color consistency in European markets.