#281B2B
Closest named color: Dark (#1B2431). oklch(24.6% 0.035 319.9), rgb(40, 27, 43).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (16.38:1).
About this color
#281B2B is a very dark, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 25%, its chroma 0.035 and its hue 320°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark (#1B2431), ΔE 0.035 away. White text reads best on it, at 16.38:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | very dark (25%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.035) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Dark (#1B2431) |
| Black text | 1.28:1 |
| White text | 16.38:1 |
Values
| HEX | #281B2B |
| RGB | rgb(40, 27, 43) |
| HSL | hsl(289, 23%, 14%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(24.6% 0.035 319.9) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #281B2B | 16.38:1 | AAA | Lc -105.8 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #281B2B | 1.28:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #281B2B text on white | 16.38:1 | AAA | Lc 103.3 | Preferred for body text |
| #281B2B text on black | 1.28:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 950.
-
Step 50
50
#F7F4F8
oklch(97.1% 0.006 317.8)
-
Step 100
100
#EDE7EF
oklch(93.5% 0.012 317.7)
-
Step 200
200
#E0D4E3
oklch(88.4% 0.024 319.5)
-
Step 300
300
#CDB8D2
oklch(80.8% 0.043 319.7)
-
Step 400
400
#B394BB
oklch(70.8% 0.066 319.3)
-
Step 500
500
#A079AA
oklch(63.1% 0.084 319.3)
-
Step 600
600
#8B6195
oklch(55.6% 0.092 319.7)
-
Step 700
700
#76507F
oklch(49.1% 0.086 319.8)
-
Step 800
800
#604267
oklch(42.7% 0.07 319.9)
-
Step 900
900
#4F3854
oklch(37.8% 0.055 320.3)
-
Step 950
950 (this color)
#281B2B
oklch(24.6% 0.035 319.9)
#281B2B with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #191F2C | 0.030 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #1C202A | 0.028 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #281D21 | 0.022 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #202020 | 0.035 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #281B2B
#281B2B
oklch(24.6% 0.035 319.9)
- #172514
#172514
oklch(24.6% 0.037 140.1)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #281B2B, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark #1B2431 ΔE 0.035
- Jet #212529 ΔE 0.037
- Oxford Blue #1B263B ΔE 0.044
- Rich Black #0D1B2A ΔE 0.049
- Eggplant #380835 ΔE 0.061
- Space Cadet #2B2D42 ΔE 0.065
- Aubergine #3D0734 ΔE 0.066
- Dark Purple #35063E ΔE 0.070
Use #281B2B in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.