#C38BDD
Closest named color: Pale Purple (#B790D4). oklch(72.1% 0.13 314.6), rgb(195, 139, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.05:1).
About this color
#C38BDD is a medium-light, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.130 and its hue 315°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Purple (#B790D4), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.05:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.130) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Pale Purple (#B790D4) |
| Black text | 8.05:1 |
| White text | 2.60:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C38BDD |
| RGB | rgb(195, 139, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(281, 55%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.1% 0.13 314.6) |
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 #C38BDD | 2.60:1 | Fails | Lc -55.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #C38BDD | 8.05:1 | AAA | Lc 53.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #C38BDD text on white | 2.60:1 | Fails | Lc 50.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #C38BDD text on black | 8.05:1 | AAA | Lc -51.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F8F3FB
oklch(97% 0.012 313.2)
-
Step 100
100
#F0E5F5
oklch(93.5% 0.024 315.5)
-
Step 200
200
#E4D1EE
oklch(88.5% 0.044 314.1)
-
Step 300
300
#D4B1E5
oklch(80.8% 0.081 314.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#C38BDD
oklch(72.1% 0.13 314.6)
-
Step 500
500
#AE66CE
oklch(63.2% 0.166 314.5)
-
Step 600
600
#994ABB
oklch(55.6% 0.181 314.4)
-
Step 700
700
#833AA1
oklch(49.1% 0.168 314.7)
-
Step 800
800
#6A3182
oklch(42.6% 0.139 314.6)
-
Step 900
900
#562C69
oklch(37.6% 0.109 314.2)
-
Step 950
950
#331B3D
oklch(27.1% 0.068 315.2)
#C38BDD 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) | #7D9DE0 | 0.105 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8BA2DB | 0.096 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C196AA | 0.088 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A0A0A0 | 0.131 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C38BDD
#C38BDD
oklch(72.1% 0.13 314.6)
- #81B760
#81B760
oklch(72.1% 0.131 134.7)
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 #C38BDD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.027
- Lavender Pink #DD85D7 ΔE 0.044
- Liliac #C48EFD ΔE 0.046
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.050
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.064
- Light Purple #BF77F6 ΔE 0.066
- Orchid #DA70D6 ΔE 0.066
- Wisteria #A87DC2 ΔE 0.067
Use #C38BDD 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.