#281C42
Closest named color: Oxford Blue (#1B263B). oklch(26.2% 0.069 295.8), rgb(40, 28, 66).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (15.73:1).
About this color
#281C42 is a dark, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 26%, its chroma 0.069 and its hue 296°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Oxford Blue (#1B263B), ΔE 0.042 away. White text reads best on it, at 15.73:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | dark (26%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.069) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Oxford Blue (#1B263B) |
| Black text | 1.33:1 |
| White text | 15.73:1 |
Values
| HEX | #281C42 |
| RGB | rgb(40, 28, 66) |
| HSL | hsl(259, 40%, 18%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(26.2% 0.069 295.8) |
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 #281C42 | 15.73:1 | AAA | Lc -105.2 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #281C42 | 1.33:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #281C42 text on white | 15.73:1 | AAA | Lc 102.6 | Preferred for body text |
| #281C42 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
#F6F4FC
oklch(97.1% 0.011 297.6)
-
Step 100
100
#EBE7F8
oklch(93.6% 0.023 296.7)
-
Step 200
200
#DBD4F5
oklch(88.6% 0.046 295.2)
-
Step 300
300
#C5B6F0
oklch(80.9% 0.082 296.4)
-
Step 400
400
#A88EE9
oklch(70.6% 0.132 296)
-
Step 500
500
#946FE2
oklch(63% 0.169 296.1)
-
Step 600
600
#7F54D0
oklch(55.5% 0.183 295.8)
-
Step 700
700
#6C44B4
oklch(49.2% 0.17 296)
-
Step 800
800
#573992
oklch(42.7% 0.141 295.4)
-
Step 900
900
#483274
oklch(37.7% 0.109 296.1)
-
Step 950
950 (this color)
#281C42
oklch(26.2% 0.069 295.8)
#281C42 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) | #0E2343 | 0.043 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #102241 | 0.041 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #22232C | 0.053 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #232323 | 0.070 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #281C42
#281C42
oklch(26.2% 0.069 295.8)
- #232800
#232800
oklch(26.3% 0.06 116.7)
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 #281C42, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Oxford Blue #1B263B ΔE 0.042
- Dark #1B2431 ΔE 0.051
- Dark Purple #35063E ΔE 0.054
- Space Cadet #2B2D42 ΔE 0.055
- Eggplant #380835 ΔE 0.058
- Dark Indigo #1F0954 ΔE 0.060
- Deep Purple #36013F ΔE 0.062
- Jet #212529 ΔE 0.063
Use #281C42 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.