← Shades of purple

Violet

Violet (#9A0EEA) is a medium, vivid purple with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 278° and a lightness of 55%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.

#9A0EEAViolet
Conversion

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

Description

Violet (#9A0EEA) is a medium, vivid purple with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 278° and a lightness of 55%. 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 mid-toned shade, Violet sits comfortably in the middle: present but not heavy.

Meaning

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

Why use this color

Violet 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 Violet has a contrast ratio of 5.79:1 (AA); black text has 3.62:1 (fails for body text). 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#F9F4FF100#F1E6FD200#E6D0FE300#D3AEFB400#BE7FF9500#AD4AF8600#9A0EEA700#7A05BB800#5B138B900#440969950#280142
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#9A0EEA
Typical visionAs most people see it
#0062EF
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#0066E6
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#8B598A
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#656565
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.
5.79:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAFail
Large textAAAAA
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
3.62:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textAAFail
Open the contrast checker