If you have started shopping for a steel fence, you have probably searched "Colorbond® fence colours", found a colour you like, then walked into a supplier and been handed a completely different colour chart. It is one of the most common points of confusion we deal with at our Deception Bay workshop.
Here is the short version: GramLine® steel privacy fencing has its own colour names, and most of them have a matching Colorbond® colour. They are different products from different companies, so the names are not interchangeable - but the shades line up closely enough that you can choose from either chart and know what you are getting.
This guide sets the two side by side, explains which name to actually use when you order, and points out the colours you can only get in GramLine®.
Why steel fence colours have two different names
Colorbond® is BlueScope's pre-painted steel. GramLine® is a steel privacy fencing system with its own colour range. Both are pre-finished steel fencing built for Queensland conditions, but they come from different companies, so each has its own colour names.
That is why "Woodland Grey" and "Slate Grey" can describe what looks like the same fence. In the GramLine® range that shade is called Slate Grey. The closest Colorbond® equivalent is Woodland Grey.
GramLine® colours and their matching Colorbond® shades
This is the comparison most people are looking for. GramLine® colour first, then the closest Colorbond® match.
White and cream
- Off White - matches Surf Mist
- Smooth Cream - matches Classic Cream
- Primrose - matches Domain
Beige and sand
- Moss Vale Sand - matches Summershade, Evening Haze
- Merino - matches Terrace, Paperbark
- Wheat - matches Harvest
- Sandstone - matches Sandbank, Sandlewood
- Beige - matches Riversand, Stone
Green
- Gun Metal Green - matches Teatree, Bushland, Bushsmoke
- Mist Green - matches Pale Eucalypt, Meadow
- Rivergum - matches Wilderness, Willow
- Picton Green - matches Brushwood
- Ocean Green - matches Hedge, Planet Green
- Caulfield Green - matches Cottage Green, Evergreen
Grey
- Gull Grey - matches Shale Grey
- Birch - matches Dune
- Armour Grey - matches Windspray
- Grey Stone - exclusive to GramLine®
- Dark Smoke - matches Basalt
- Slate Grey - matches Woodland Grey, Grey Ridge
Red and brown
- Autumn Red - matches Headland, Tuscan Red
- Heritage Red - matches Manor Red, Red Oak
- Merlot - matches Loft, Attic
- Mocca - matches Jasper, Jasmin Brown
- Ironbark - matches Estate
- Weathered Copper - matches Cappice
- Bowral Brown - matches Boundary
Blue and black
- Mountain Blue - matches Deep Ocean, Bluestone
- Blue Rock - matches Ironstone, Iron Grey
- Coke - matches Monument®, Monolith
- Black - matches Night Sky, Ebony
Important: order by the GramLine® name, not the Colorbond® one
This trips people up regularly, and it is worth being clear about.
The Colorbond® colour names above are registered trademarks belonging to another company. They are useful for identifying the shade you want, but they cannot be used when ordering GramLine® product. If you want the dark charcoal, ask for Coke, not Monument®. If you want the deep grey-green, ask for Slate Grey, not Woodland Grey.
Bring us the Colorbond® name if that is what a builder or designer has given you - we will translate it. Just know the order goes through under the GramLine® name.
Colours you can only get in GramLine®
A few shades in the range have no Colorbond® equivalent at all. Grey Stone and Deep Jacaranda are two of them.
This matters more than it sounds. If you are trying to match an existing fence, a roof or a neighbouring boundary and nothing in the standard Colorbond® range is quite right, the GramLine® exclusives are worth looking at before you compromise.
There are also two metallic finishes - Silver Sheen and Bronze Sheen - available in the SmartSlat range rather than the standard privacy fencing range.
How to choose a fence colour that still looks right in five years
Match the roof, not the walls. Wall colours get repainted; roofs rarely do. Picking up the roof colour, or something a step darker, tends to age better than matching render or cladding that may change.
Dark colours recede, light colours advance. A dark fence such as Coke or Slate Grey visually pushes the boundary back and makes a small yard feel larger. Lighter shades such as Off White or Merino bounce more light into a shaded courtyard.
Think about what sits in front of it. Greens like Rivergum and Gun Metal Green disappear behind established planting, which is usually what you want. A strong red or blue becomes a feature, so use it deliberately.
Consider the whole streetscape. If several neighbouring boundaries are already one shade, matching it usually looks better than standing out, and it is the safer resale choice.
Always check a physical sample
This is the one piece of advice we would not skip. Screen colours are not reliable. Monitors, phones and printers all render these shades differently, and two greys that look identical online can be obviously different across a 20-metre boundary.
GramLine®'s own colour chart carries the same warning: check your chosen colour against an actual sample before purchasing.
We keep physical samples at the Deception Bay workshop. Bring a roof tile, a paint chip or a photo of the existing fence and we will hold the real thing against it. It takes ten minutes and removes the guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
Is GramLine® the same as Colorbond®?
No. They are different products from different companies. Both are pre-finished steel fencing and the colour ranges are closely matched, but they are not the same thing. We cover the differences in detail in our GramLine® vs Colorbond® comparison.
How many colours does GramLine® come in?
31 colours across white, cream, beige, green, grey, red, brown, blue and black tones. It is the largest steel fencing colour range we can offer, and a large part of why we specialise in it.
Can I get a colour that is not on the chart?
Not in GramLine® steel. For a custom shade, powder coated aluminium is the way to go - our aluminium fencing can be powder coated to a colour of your choosing, which is how we handle most colour-matching requests that fall outside the standard range.
Do the colours fade?
All exterior finishes weather over time, and darker colours tend to show it sooner in full Queensland sun. GramLine® panels carry a 10-year warranty. Ask us for the current warranty terms for your chosen colour before ordering.
See the colours in person
We supply the full GramLine® range in kit form from our Deception Bay workshop, for collection or delivery across Brisbane North and the Moreton Bay region. Panels, posts and rails come as a kit to your measurements.
Call (07) 3204 9994 or visit us at 1/66 Kabi Circuit, Deception Bay to see the samples. If you already know the colour you want, we can quote it the same day. You can also browse the full GramLine® steel fencing range.
