Purple color · XKCD survey name
Soft Purple Color Code: #A66FB5
Soft Purple is a medium, soft magenta color with the hexadecimal value #A66FB5. In RGB it is 166, 111, 181 and in HSL it is 287°, 32%, 57%. Black text reads best on it (5.56:1 contrast).
Soft Purple color values
#A66FB5
rgb(166, 111, 181)
hsl(287, 32%, 57%)
287, 39%, 71%
hwb(287 44% 29%)
8%, 39%, 0%, 29%
10907573
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Soft Purple?
“Soft 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 287° places it in the magenta part of the color wheel, with 32% saturation (soft) and 57% lightness (medium). It sits between warm and cool.
Compared with the other purple colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 58% of them and more saturated than 14% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.228, 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.
Soft Purple counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 57% and its relative luminance is 0.228. Black text reads best on it (5.56:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Soft Purple
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 3.77:1 Limited | Fail | Pass | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 5.56:1 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 Soft 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 Soft 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 Soft Purple
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.56:1 contrast with black)
- Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
- Illustrations and hero sections
- Tags, badges and highlights
- Creative and entertainment branding
- Premium-feeling accents and gradients
Use Soft Purple in CSS
:root {
--color-soft-purple: #A66FB5;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-soft-purple);
background-color: #A66FB5;
border: 2px solid #A66FB5;
}Questions about Soft Purple
What is the HEX code for Soft Purple?
Soft Purple is #A66FB5.
What is the RGB value of Soft Purple?
The RGB value of Soft Purple is 166, 111, 181: 166 red, 111 green and 181 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(166, 111, 181) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Soft Purple?
The HSL value of Soft Purple is 287°, 32%, 57% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(287, 32%, 57%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Soft Purple?
A standard conversion gives about C 8%, M 39%, Y 0%, K 29%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Soft Purple a light or dark color?
Soft Purple counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 57% and its relative luminance is 0.228. Black text reads best on it (5.56:1 contrast).
How does Soft Purple look with white text?
White text on Soft Purple has a contrast ratio of 3.77:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.
How does Soft Purple look with black text?
Black text on Soft Purple has a contrast ratio of 5.56:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Soft Purple?
Faded Green is its complementary color, and Deep Lilac sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Soft Purple be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.56:1 contrast with black); large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough; illustrations and hero sections.
How do I use Soft Purple in CSS?
Use color: #A66FB5; for text, background-color: #A66FB5; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-soft-purple: #A66FB5; and reuse it with var(--color-soft-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.