Purple color · XKCD survey name
Midnight Purple Color Code: #280137
Midnight Purple is a very dark, vivid violet color with the hexadecimal value #280137. In RGB it is 40, 1, 55 and in HSL it is 283°, 96%, 11%. White text reads comfortably on it (18.26:1 contrast).
Midnight Purple color values
#280137
rgb(40, 1, 55)
hsl(283, 96%, 11%)
283, 98%, 22%
hwb(283 0% 78%)
27%, 98%, 0%, 78%
2621751
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Midnight Purple?
“Midnight Purple” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.
Its hue angle of 283° places it in the violet part of the color wheel, with 96% saturation (vivid) and 11% lightness (very dark). It sits between warm and cool.
Compared with the other purple colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 1% of them and more saturated than 65% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.007, which makes it a very dark color. That is below the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so white text has the advantage.
Midnight Purple counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 11% and its relative luminance is 0.007. White text reads comfortably on it (18.26:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Midnight Purple
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 18.26:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Black text | Sample text | 1.14:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Midnight Purple
Complementary color
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.
Analogous colors
Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.
Triadic colors
A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.
Split-complementary colors
Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.
Tetradic colors
A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.
Monochromatic variants
Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.
A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.
Tints and shades of Midnight Purple
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
Darker shades (mixed with black)
Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.
Similar colors
Where to use Midnight Purple
- Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (18.26:1 contrast)
- Dark-mode surfaces, headers and footers
- Premium-feeling accents and gradients
- Illustrations and hero sections
- Tags, badges and highlights
- Creative and entertainment branding
Use Midnight Purple in CSS
:root {
--color-midnight-purple: #280137;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-midnight-purple);
background-color: #280137;
border: 2px solid #280137;
}Questions about Midnight Purple
What is the HEX code for Midnight Purple?
Midnight Purple is #280137.
What is the RGB value of Midnight Purple?
The RGB value of Midnight Purple is 40, 1, 55: 40 red, 1 green and 55 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(40, 1, 55) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Midnight Purple?
The HSL value of Midnight Purple is 283°, 96%, 11% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(283, 96%, 11%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Midnight Purple?
A standard conversion gives about C 27%, M 98%, Y 0%, K 78%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Midnight Purple a light or dark color?
Midnight Purple counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 11% and its relative luminance is 0.007. White text reads comfortably on it (18.26:1 contrast).
How does Midnight Purple look with white text?
White text on Midnight Purple has a contrast ratio of 18.26:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
How does Midnight Purple look with black text?
Black text on Midnight Purple has a contrast ratio of 1.14:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
What colors go well with Midnight Purple?
Hunter Green is its complementary color, and Dark Navy sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Midnight Purple be used?
It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (18.26:1 contrast); dark-mode surfaces, headers and footers; premium-feeling accents and gradients.
How do I use Midnight Purple in CSS?
Use color: #280137; for text, background-color: #280137; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-midnight-purple: #280137; and reuse it with var(--color-midnight-purple).
About this color page
Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.