Purple Gray Color Code: #866F85, RGB & HSL

Purple Gray color values

HEX #866F85

RGB rgb(134, 111, 133)

HSL hsl(303, 9%, 48%)

HSV 303, 17%, 53%

HWB hwb(303 44% 47%)

CMYK 0%, 17%, 1%, 47%

Decimal 8810373

48%HSL lightness (medium)

9%HSL saturation (muted)

303°Hue angle (magenta)

0.181Relative luminance

CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.

What is Purple Gray?

“Purple Gray” 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 saturation is only 9%, so it behaves as a neutral, with 9% saturation (muted) and 48% lightness (medium). It has a neutral temperature.

Compared with the other gray colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 33% of them and more saturated than 42% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.181, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.

Purple Gray counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 48% and its relative luminance is 0.181. Black text reads best on it (4.62:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Purple Gray

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Purple Gray
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	4.53:1 Good	Pass	Pass	Fail	Pass
Black text	Sample text	4.62:1 Good	Pass	Pass	Fail	Pass

Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.

Colors that go with Purple Gray

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.

≈ Green Gray#6F8670

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.

≈ Gray Purple#7C6F86 ≈ Gray#866F79

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.

≈ Brown Gray#85866F ≈ Steel Gray#6F8586

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.

≈ Brown Gray#7A866F ≈ Medium Gray#6F867C

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.

≈ Gray#86706F ≈ Green Gray#6F8670 ≈ Steel Gray#6F8586

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.

#382E37#382E37

#5F4F5E#5F4F5E

#866F85#866F85

#A795A6#A795A6

#C8BCC7#C8BCC7

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 Purple Gray

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.

Gray Purple#826D8C Dusky Purple#895B7B Dusty Purple#825F87 Faded Purple#916E99 Dull Purple#84597E Dusty Lavender#AC86A8 Heather#A484AC Muted Purple#805B87

Where to use Purple Gray

Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.53:1 contrast)
Calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements
Neutral page backgrounds
Tables, cards and dashboards
Body text, borders and dividers
Secondary buttons and disabled states

Use Purple Gray in CSS

:root {
  --color-purple-gray: #866F85;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-purple-gray);
  background-color: #866F85;
  border: 2px solid #866F85;
}

Questions about Purple Gray

What is the HEX code for Purple Gray?

Purple Gray is #866F85.

What is the RGB value of Purple Gray?

The RGB value of Purple Gray is 134, 111, 133: 134 red, 111 green and 133 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(134, 111, 133) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Purple Gray?

The HSL value of Purple Gray is 303°, 9%, 48% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(303, 9%, 48%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Purple Gray?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 17%, Y 1%, K 47%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Purple Gray a light or dark color?

Purple Gray counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 48% and its relative luminance is 0.181. Black text reads best on it (4.62:1 contrast).

How does Purple Gray look with white text?

White text on Purple Gray has a contrast ratio of 4.53:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

How does Purple Gray look with black text?

Black text on Purple Gray has a contrast ratio of 4.62:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Purple Gray?

Green Gray is its complementary color, and Gray Purple sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Purple Gray be used?

It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.53:1 contrast); calm backgrounds, editorial layouts and understated UI elements; neutral page backgrounds.

How do I use Purple Gray in CSS?

Use color: #866F85; for text, background-color: #866F85; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-purple-gray: #866F85; and reuse it with var(--color-purple-gray).

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.

Purple Gray Color Code: #866F85