#281B44
Closest named color: Oxford Blue (#1B263B). oklch(26.2% 0.074 295.4), rgb(40, 27, 68).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (15.78:1).
About this color
#281B44 is a dark, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 26%, its chroma 0.074 and its hue 295°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Oxford Blue (#1B263B), ΔE 0.046 away. White text reads best on it, at 15.78:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | dark (26%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.074) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Oxford Blue (#1B263B) |
| Black text | 1.33:1 |
| White text | 15.78:1 |
Values
| HEX | #281B44 |
| RGB | rgb(40, 27, 68) |
| HSL | hsl(259, 43%, 19%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(26.2% 0.074 295.4) |
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 #281B44 | 15.78:1 | AAA | Lc -105.2 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #281B44 | 1.33:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #281B44 text on white | 15.78:1 | AAA | Lc 102.6 | Preferred for body text |
| #281B44 text on black | 1.33:1 | 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
#F6F4FD
oklch(97.1% 0.012 296.4)
-
Step 100
100
#EBE7FA
oklch(93.7% 0.026 295.5)
-
Step 200
200
#DBD3F7
oklch(88.5% 0.05 295.5)
-
Step 300
300
#C5B6F4
oklch(81% 0.088 295.5)
-
Step 400
400
#A88DEE
oklch(70.7% 0.14 295.4)
-
Step 500
500
#946DE9
oklch(63.1% 0.18 295.3)
-
Step 600
600
#8051D7
oklch(55.7% 0.196 295.5)
-
Step 700
700
#6C40BA
oklch(49% 0.182 295.4)
-
Step 800
800
#583697
oklch(42.7% 0.151 295.4)
-
Step 900
900
#483078
oklch(37.7% 0.118 295.5)
-
Step 950
950 (this color)
#281B44
oklch(26.2% 0.074 295.4)
#281B44 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) | #0A2345 | 0.048 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #0D2243 | 0.045 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #21232C | 0.059 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #232323 | 0.075 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #281B44
#281B44
oklch(26.2% 0.074 295.4)
- #242800
#242800
oklch(26.4% 0.06 115.4)
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 #281B44, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Oxford Blue #1B263B ΔE 0.046
- Dark Purple #35063E ΔE 0.052
- Dark Indigo #1F0954 ΔE 0.055
- Dark #1B2431 ΔE 0.055
- Eggplant #380835 ΔE 0.057
- Space Cadet #2B2D42 ΔE 0.058
- Deep Purple #36013F ΔE 0.060
- Aubergine #3D0734 ΔE 0.065
Use #281B44 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.