Indigo #4B0082
Indigo is a dark, vivid purple with hex code #4B0082 and RGB rgb(75, 0, 130).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (12.95:1).
About this color
#4B0082 is a dark, vivid purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 34%, its chroma 0.179 and its hue 302°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. It is the named color Indigo. White text reads best on it, at 12.95:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | dark (34%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.179) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Indigo |
| Black text | 1.62:1 |
| White text | 12.95:1 |
Colors that go with Indigo
Matches found by rotating Indigo around the OKLCH hue wheel, each labelled with the closest name in our list.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Color palettes with Indigo
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Indigo, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Indigo, with their ΔE distance.
- Royal Purple #4B006E ΔE 0.035
- Imperial Purple #480CA8 ΔE 0.069
- Chrysanthemum #560BAD ΔE 0.077
- Plum Purple #4E0550 ΔE 0.090
- Indigo Blue #3A18B1 ΔE 0.096
- Midnight Blue #191970 ΔE 0.101
- Dark Slate Blue #483D8B ΔE 0.101
- Grape Purple #5D1451 ΔE 0.102
More about Indigo
How to make Indigo
A starting recipe from common paint colors, found with a spectral paint model (the color mixer’s paint mode). Real pigments vary, so mix a small test batch and adjust.
- 2 parts purple
- 1 part blue
Recipe result: #4F3396, a difference of ΔE 0.083 from Indigo. Indigo is more vivid than these paints can mix, so start from a ready-made purple paint and adjust it.
Codes for Indigo in every format
| HEX | #4B0082 |
| RGB | rgb(75, 0, 130) |
| HSL | hsl(275, 100%, 25%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(33.9% 0.179 301.7) |
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 #4B0082 | 12.95:1 | AAA | Lc -100.8 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #4B0082 | 1.62:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #4B0082 text on white | 12.95:1 | AAA | Lc 97.2 | Preferred for body text |
| #4B0082 text on black | 1.62:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
Shades and tints of Indigo
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 900.
-
Step 50
50
#F7F3FF
oklch(97.1% 0.016 301.2)
-
Step 100
100
#EEE5FF
oklch(93.7% 0.036 301.4)
-
Step 200
200
#E1CFFF
oklch(88.5% 0.068 302.1)
-
Step 300
300
#CEAFFF
oklch(80.9% 0.115 301.7)
-
Step 400
400
#B680FF
oklch(70.7% 0.184 301.5)
-
Step 500
500
#A655FF
oklch(63% 0.24 301.7)
-
Step 600
600
#9700FD
oklch(55.5% 0.294 301.7)
-
Step 700
700
#7F00D7
oklch(49.1% 0.26 301.5)
-
Step 800
800
#6900B2
oklch(42.7% 0.226 301.8)
-
Step 900
900 (this color)
#4B0082
oklch(33.9% 0.179 301.7)
-
Step 950
950
#321053
oklch(27% 0.114 302.3)
Indigo 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) | #003185 | 0.118 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #003180 | 0.119 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3E2E4A | 0.128 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #313131 | 0.181 |
Use Indigo 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.