Purple color · XKCD survey name
Pale Lilac Color Code: #E4CBFF
Pale Lilac (#E4CBFF) is a very light, vivid violet shade: RGB 228, 203, 255, HSL 269°, 100%, 90%. Black text reads best on it (14.28:1 contrast).
Pale Lilac color values
#E4CBFF
rgb(228, 203, 255)
hsl(269, 100%, 90%)
269, 20%, 100%
hwb(269 80% 0%)
11%, 20%, 0%, 0%
14994431
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Pale Lilac?
“Pale Lilac” 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 269° places it in the violet part of the color wheel, with 100% saturation (vivid) and 90% lightness (very light). It is a cool color.
Compared with the other purple colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 96% of them and more saturated than 82% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.664, which makes it a very light color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.
Pale Lilac counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 90% and its relative luminance is 0.664. Black text reads best on it (14.28:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Pale Lilac
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 1.47:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 14.28:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Pale Lilac
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 Pale Lilac
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 Pale Lilac
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (14.28:1 contrast with black)
- Page backgrounds, subtle borders and table stripes
- Tags, badges and highlights
- Creative and entertainment branding
- Premium-feeling accents and gradients
- Illustrations and hero sections
Use Pale Lilac in CSS
:root {
--color-pale-lilac: #E4CBFF;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-pale-lilac);
background-color: #E4CBFF;
border: 2px solid #E4CBFF;
}Questions about Pale Lilac
What is the HEX code for Pale Lilac?
Pale Lilac is #E4CBFF.
What is the RGB value of Pale Lilac?
The RGB value of Pale Lilac is 228, 203, 255: 228 red, 203 green and 255 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(228, 203, 255) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Pale Lilac?
The HSL value of Pale Lilac is 269°, 100%, 90% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(269, 100%, 90%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Pale Lilac?
A standard conversion gives about C 11%, M 20%, Y 0%, K 0%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Pale Lilac a light or dark color?
Pale Lilac counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 90% and its relative luminance is 0.664. Black text reads best on it (14.28:1 contrast).
How does Pale Lilac look with white text?
White text on Pale Lilac has a contrast ratio of 1.47:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
How does Pale Lilac look with black text?
Black text on Pale Lilac has a contrast ratio of 14.28:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Pale Lilac?
Ecru is its complementary color, and Light Periwinkle sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Pale Lilac be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (14.28:1 contrast with black); page backgrounds, subtle borders and table stripes; tags, badges and highlights.
How do I use Pale Lilac in CSS?
Use color: #E4CBFF; for text, background-color: #E4CBFF; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-pale-lilac: #E4CBFF; and reuse it with var(--color-pale-lilac).
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.