#856D9B
Closest named color: Dark Lavender (#856798). oklch(57.5% 0.074 308), rgb(133, 109, 155).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (4.65:1).
About this color
#856D9B is a medium-dark, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 57%, its chroma 0.074 and its hue 308°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Lavender (#856798), ΔE 0.016 away. Black text reads best on it, at 4.65:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-dark (57%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.074) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Dark Lavender (#856798) |
| Black text | 4.65:1 |
| White text | 4.50:1 |
Values
| HEX | #856D9B |
| RGB | rgb(133, 109, 155) |
| HSL | hsl(271, 19%, 52%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(57.5% 0.074 308) |
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 #856D9B | 4.50:1 | AA | Lc -76.7 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #856D9B | 4.65:1 | AA | Lc 32.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #856D9B text on white | 4.50:1 | AA | Lc 71.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #856D9B text on black | 4.65:1 | AA | Lc -30.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
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 600.
-
Step 50
50
#F6F5F8
oklch(97.2% 0.004 301.4)
-
Step 100
100
#EBE8EF
oklch(93.5% 0.01 305.4)
-
Step 200
200
#DCD6E3
oklch(88.5% 0.019 306.6)
-
Step 300
300
#C6BBD2
oklch(80.8% 0.034 307.1)
-
Step 400
400
#AA98BB
oklch(70.7% 0.054 308.2)
-
Step 500
500
#957FAA
oklch(63.2% 0.068 307.8)
-
Step 600
600 (this color)
#856D9B
oklch(57.5% 0.074 308)
-
Step 700
700
#6C567F
oklch(49.1% 0.069 308.5)
-
Step 800
800
#584667
oklch(42.6% 0.058 309)
-
Step 900
900
#483B54
oklch(37.6% 0.045 308)
-
Step 950
950
#2A2331
oklch(27% 0.027 307.3)
#856D9B 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) | #65769D | 0.051 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #6A779A | 0.047 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #82737D | 0.055 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #777777 | 0.075 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #856D9B
#856D9B
oklch(57.5% 0.074 308)
- #6C8151
#6C8151
oklch(57.4% 0.074 127.8)
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 #856D9B, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Lavender #856798 ΔE 0.016
- Faded Purple #916E99 ΔE 0.021
- Grey Purple #826D8C ΔE 0.024
- Purple Grey #866F85 ΔE 0.037
- Dark Lilac #9C6DA5 ΔE 0.042
- Dusty Purple #825F87 ΔE 0.043
- Lavender Gray #7E7F9A ΔE 0.051
- Muted Purple #805B87 ΔE 0.052
Use #856D9B 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.