Purple color · XKCD survey name
Plum Purple Color Code: #4E0550
Plum Purple is a dark, vivid magenta color with the hexadecimal value #4E0550. In RGB it is 78, 5, 80 and in HSL it is 298°, 88%, 17%. White text reads comfortably on it (14.36:1 contrast).
Plum Purple color values
#4E0550
rgb(78, 5, 80)
hsl(298, 88%, 17%)
298, 94%, 31%
hwb(298 2% 69%)
2%, 94%, 0%, 69%
5113168
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Plum Purple?
“Plum 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 298° places it in the magenta part of the color wheel, with 88% saturation (vivid) and 17% lightness (dark). It sits between warm and cool.
Compared with the other purple colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 11% of them and more saturated than 51% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.023, 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.
Plum Purple counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 17% and its relative luminance is 0.023. White text reads comfortably on it (14.36:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Plum Purple
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 14.36:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Black text | Sample text | 1.46:1 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 Plum 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 Plum 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 Plum Purple
- Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (14.36:1 contrast)
- Dark-mode surfaces, headers and footers
- Illustrations and hero sections
- Tags, badges and highlights
- Creative and entertainment branding
- Premium-feeling accents and gradients
Use Plum Purple in CSS
:root {
--color-plum-purple: #4E0550;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-plum-purple);
background-color: #4E0550;
border: 2px solid #4E0550;
}Questions about Plum Purple
What is the HEX code for Plum Purple?
Plum Purple is #4E0550.
What is the RGB value of Plum Purple?
The RGB value of Plum Purple is 78, 5, 80: 78 red, 5 green and 80 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(78, 5, 80) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Plum Purple?
The HSL value of Plum Purple is 298°, 88%, 17% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(298, 88%, 17%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Plum Purple?
A standard conversion gives about C 2%, M 94%, Y 0%, K 69%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Plum Purple a light or dark color?
Plum Purple counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 17% and its relative luminance is 0.023. White text reads comfortably on it (14.36:1 contrast).
How does Plum Purple look with white text?
White text on Plum Purple has a contrast ratio of 14.36:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
How does Plum Purple look with black text?
Black text on Plum Purple has a contrast ratio of 1.46:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
What colors go well with Plum Purple?
Forest is its complementary color, and Dark Indigo sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Plum Purple be used?
It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (14.36:1 contrast); dark-mode surfaces, headers and footers; illustrations and hero sections.
How do I use Plum Purple in CSS?
Use color: #4E0550; for text, background-color: #4E0550; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-plum-purple: #4E0550; and reuse it with var(--color-plum-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.