Indigo
Indigo (#4B0082) is a dark, vivid purple with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 275° and a lightness of 34%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.
About this color
What Indigo looks like, feels like and where it works.
Description
Indigo (#4B0082) is a dark, vivid purple with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 275° and a lightness of 34%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.
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 dark shade, Indigo feels weighty and serious.
Meaning
Purple has long stood for royalty, ceremony and spirituality, and today for creativity and individuality.
Why use this color
Indigo is a confident accent. It carries white text well, so it works as a button, header or badge 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 Indigo has a contrast ratio of 12.95:1 (AAA); black text has 1.62:1 (fails). 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.
Variations of Indigo
Tailwind-style scale
Color harmonies of Indigo
Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.
Color blindness simulator
These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.