← Shades of purple

≈ Lilac

#D09DFA is closest to Lilac in our library. Lilac (#D09DFA) is a light, moderately saturated purple with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 273° and a lightness of 78%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

#D09DFA≈ Lilac
Conversion

What Lilac looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Lilac (#D09DFA) is a light, moderately saturated purple with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 273° and a lightness of 78%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

Psychology

Purple mixes the energy of red with the calm of blue. It suggests imagination, creativity and luxury; soft lavenders feel romantic, deep violets feel premium. As a light shade, Lilac feels airy and gentle.

Meaning

Purple has long stood for royalty, ceremony and spirituality, and today for creativity and individuality.

Why use this color

Lilac is an easy supporting color. Dark text is easy to read on it, so it works as a surface, highlight or card background. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.

Applications
  • Beauty and wellness
  • Creative tools and entertainment
  • Premium and luxury positioning
  • Gradients paired with blue or pink
History

Tyrian purple, made from sea snails, was so costly it became tied to emperors. In 1856 William Perkin accidentally made mauveine, the first synthetic dye, and purple became affordable.

Accessibility

White text on Lilac has a contrast ratio of 2.12:1 (fails); black text has 9.88:1 (AAA). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning: pair it with text, an icon or a pattern.

ShadesMixed with black: darker and richer.
TintsMixed with white: lighter and softer.
TonesMixed with gray: quieter and less saturated.
HuesThe same lightness and strength, turned around the wheel.
TemperaturesPushed cooler on the left, warmer on the right.
50#FAF4FF100#F2E5FD200#E7D0FB300#D09DFA400#B88BDD500#9E6CC5600#8556A8700#6B438A800#52316A900#3C2250950#231130
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.

#D09DFA
Typical visionAs most people see it
#8AB0FE
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#96B3F7
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#CBABC0
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#B2B2B2
AchromatopsiaNo color, only light and dark

These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.

White textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
2.12:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
9.88:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#D09DFA Color — closest to Lilac (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly