#281F42
Closest named color: Oxford Blue (#1B263B). oklch(26.9% 0.064 293.5), rgb(40, 31, 66).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (15.38:1).
About this color
#281F42 is a dark, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 27%, its chroma 0.064 and its hue 293°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Oxford Blue (#1B263B), ΔE 0.035 away. White text reads best on it, at 15.38:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | dark (27%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.064) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Oxford Blue (#1B263B) |
| Black text | 1.36:1 |
| White text | 15.38:1 |
Values
| HEX | #281F42 |
| RGB | rgb(40, 31, 66) |
| HSL | hsl(255, 36%, 19%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(26.9% 0.064 293.5) |
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 #281F42 | 15.38:1 | AAA | Lc -104.9 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #281F42 | 1.36:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #281F42 text on white | 15.38:1 | AAA | Lc 102.2 | Preferred for body text |
| #281F42 text on black | 1.36:1 | 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
#F5F4FC
oklch(97% 0.011 292)
-
Step 100
100
#EAE7F8
oklch(93.5% 0.023 294.1)
-
Step 200
200
#DAD4F3
oklch(88.4% 0.043 294.4)
-
Step 300
300
#C2B8ED
oklch(80.9% 0.075 293.3)
-
Step 400
400
#A491E5
oklch(70.6% 0.122 293.4)
-
Step 500
500
#8F74DD
oklch(63.1% 0.154 293.3)
-
Step 600
600
#7A5ACA
oklch(55.6% 0.167 293.4)
-
Step 700
700
#6749AF
oklch(49.1% 0.156 293.4)
-
Step 800
800
#543D8E
oklch(42.8% 0.129 293.3)
-
Step 900
900
#453571
oklch(37.8% 0.1 293.3)
-
Step 950
950 (this color)
#281F42
oklch(26.9% 0.064 293.5)
#281F42 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) | #132543 | 0.036 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #142441 | 0.035 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #22262D | 0.052 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #252525 | 0.064 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #281F42
#281F42
oklch(26.9% 0.064 293.5)
- #262900
#262900
oklch(26.9% 0.06 113.9)
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 #281F42, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Oxford Blue #1B263B ΔE 0.035
- Dark #1B2431 ΔE 0.046
- Space Cadet #2B2D42 ΔE 0.046
- Jet #212529 ΔE 0.058
- Dark Purple #35063E ΔE 0.061
- Gunmetal #293241 ΔE 0.063
- Eggplant #380835 ΔE 0.063
- Dark Indigo #1F0954 ΔE 0.066
Use #281F42 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.