#856DCB
Closest named color: Medium Purple (#9370DB). oklch(59.9% 0.14 293.5), rgb(133, 109, 203).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.04:1).
About this color
#856DCB is a medium-dark, vivid purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 60%, its chroma 0.140 and its hue 293°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Medium Purple (#9370DB), ΔE 0.034 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.04:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-dark (60%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.140) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Medium Purple (#9370DB) |
| Black text | 5.04:1 |
| White text | 4.16:1 |
Values
| HEX | #856DCB |
| RGB | rgb(133, 109, 203) |
| HSL | hsl(255, 47%, 61%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(59.9% 0.14 293.5) |
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 #856DCB | 4.16:1 | AA large text | Lc -74.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #856DCB | 5.04:1 | AA | Lc 35.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #856DCB text on white | 4.16:1 | AA large text | Lc 68.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #856DCB text on black | 5.04:1 | AA | Lc -33.2 | 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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#F5F4FB
oklch(97% 0.009 292.8)
-
Step 100
100
#EAE8F6
oklch(93.7% 0.019 292.6)
-
Step 200
200
#DAD5F1
oklch(88.6% 0.038 293.8)
-
Step 300
300
#C2B9E9
oklch(80.9% 0.068 293.4)
-
Step 400
400
#A493DF
oklch(70.7% 0.11 293.7)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#856DCB
oklch(59.9% 0.14 293.5)
-
Step 600
600
#795DC3
oklch(55.5% 0.153 293.4)
-
Step 700
700
#664CA8
oklch(49% 0.142 293.5)
-
Step 800
800
#533F88
oklch(42.6% 0.117 293.4)
-
Step 900
900
#44366D
oklch(37.6% 0.092 293.2)
-
Step 950
950
#282040
oklch(27% 0.059 293.6)
#856DCB 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) | #4D7DCE | 0.079 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #517BC9 | 0.075 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #747F92 | 0.115 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #7C7C7C | 0.141 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #856DCB
#856DCB
oklch(59.9% 0.14 293.5)
- #818800
#818800
oklch(60% 0.134 113.4)
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 #856DCB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Medium Purple #9370DB ΔE 0.034
- Deep Lilac #966EBD ΔE 0.036
- Deep Lavender #8D5EB7 ΔE 0.044
- Amethyst #9B5FC0 ΔE 0.048
- Medium Slate Blue #7B68EE ΔE 0.059
- Dark Periwinkle #665FD1 ΔE 0.064
- Light Indigo #6D5ACF ΔE 0.065
- Soft Purple #A66FB5 ΔE 0.066
Use #856DCB 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.