#AB38CD
Closest named color: Dark Orchid (#9932CC). oklch(57.1% 0.228 317.3), rgb(171, 56, 205).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (5.02:1).
About this color
#AB38CD is a medium-dark, vivid purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 57%, its chroma 0.228 and its hue 317°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Orchid (#9932CC), ΔE 0.038 away. White text reads best on it, at 5.02:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-dark (57%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.228) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Dark Orchid (#9932CC) |
| Black text | 4.17:1 |
| White text | 5.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #AB38CD |
| RGB | rgb(171, 56, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(286, 60%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(57.1% 0.228 317.3) |
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 #AB38CD | 5.02:1 | AA | Lc -79.1 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #AB38CD | 4.17:1 | AA large text | Lc 30.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #AB38CD text on white | 5.02:1 | AA | Lc 73.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #AB38CD text on black | 4.17:1 | AA large text | Lc -28.0 | Dividers and decoration only |
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
#F9F3FC
oklch(97.1% 0.013 314.8)
-
Step 100
100
#F2E4F7
oklch(93.6% 0.029 317.2)
-
Step 200
200
#E9CEF2
oklch(88.5% 0.057 317.7)
-
Step 300
300
#DCACEC
oklch(80.9% 0.102 317.5)
-
Step 400
400
#C97CE3
oklch(70.6% 0.165 317.2)
-
Step 500
500
#BB55DB
oklch(63.1% 0.21 317.3)
-
Step 600
600 (this color)
#AB38CD
oklch(57.1% 0.228 317.3)
-
Step 700
700
#8E22AD
oklch(49.1% 0.212 317.1)
-
Step 800
800
#74208C
oklch(42.8% 0.176 317.5)
-
Step 900
900
#5E2270
oklch(37.8% 0.137 317.5)
-
Step 950
950
#371542
oklch(27% 0.088 317.1)
#AB38CD 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) | #0068D1 | 0.216 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #3B72CA | 0.195 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #A95780 | 0.144 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #6F6F6F | 0.230 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #AB38CD
#AB38CD
oklch(57.1% 0.228 317.3)
- #3D8D00
#3D8D00
oklch(57% 0.173 137.2)
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 #AB38CD, closest first.
No curated palette has a color within ΔE 0.04 of #AB38CD.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Orchid #9932CC ΔE 0.038
- Vibrant Purple #AD03DE ΔE 0.049
- Purply #983FB2 ΔE 0.054
- Medium Orchid #BA55D3 ΔE 0.061
- Purpley Pink #C83CB9 ΔE 0.069
- Dark Violet #9400D3 ΔE 0.072
- Pinky Purple #C94CBE ΔE 0.078
- Blue Violet #8A2BE2 ΔE 0.079
Use #AB38CD 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.