#8A2BE2
Purple family

Blue Violet

Also known as: vibrant · mystical · artistic · deep · enchanting
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Hex #8A2BE2
RGB rgb(138, 43, 226)
HSL hsl(271°, 76%, 53%)
CMYK 39 · 81 · 0 · 11
CSS blueviolet
NCS S 0540-R40B

RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.

Meaning

In Western cultures, Blue Violet is often associated with creativity and inspiration, symbolizing artistic expression. Conversely, in some Eastern traditions, it may carry connotations of spirituality and introspection, suggesting a duality in its interpretation.

The term 'blue violet' was first documented in 1865, highlighting its emergence during the Victorian era when the fascination with color theory flourished. The color was notably popularized by artists of the Impressionist movement, who embraced its vibrant qualities to evoke emotion in their works.

vibrantmysticalartisticdeepenchanting

Similar colors

Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Blue Violet. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).

All 31 Purples →

Shades & tints

Nine steps of Blue Violet by lightness — from #481676 (darkest) to #C291F0 (lightest). Click any to copy.

-40% #481676
-30% #581C91
-20% #6921AC
-10% #7926C7
BASE #8A2BE2
+15% #9844E5
+30% #A65EE9
+50% #B477EC
+70% #C291F0

Complementary

Sitting opposite Blue Violet at 91° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.

Palettes

Curated 5-color combinations featuring Blue Violet.

#8A2BE2
#FFD700
#F5F5F5
#6A5ACD
#DDA0DD

Mystical Garden

Whimsical Charm
#8A2BE2
#FF6347
#FFFFFF
#4682B4
#20B2AA

Creative Spark

Vibrant Energy
#8A2BE2
#191970
#D3D3D3
#B0E0E6
#8B008B

Dreamy Night

Calm Serenity

Blue Violet scale

A 50–900 tonal scale with Blue Violet anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.

50 #F6EEFD
100 #EAD9FA
200 #D3AEF4
300 #BB84EE
400 #A358E8
500 #8A2BE2
600 #7123B9
700 #5B1C95
800 #451671
900 #2F0F4D

Accessibility

Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.

Aa Best text color: #FFFFFF · 5.96:1
Blue Violet as text on… Ratio AA AAA
Aa White background 5.96:1 Pass Large only
Aa Black background 3.52:1 Large only Fail

Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.

How to use #8A2BE2

Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.

CSS color: blueviolet;
CSS color-mix (lighten 30%) color-mix(in srgb, blueviolet 70%, white)
HSV / HSB 271°, 81%, 89%
CMYK (print) 39, 81, 0, 11
Decimal 9055202
Nearest web-safe #9933CC

Color vision

How Blue Violet appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.

Normal vision

#8A2BE2

Protanopia (no red)

#6160B6

Deuteranopia (no green)

#666EAB

Tritanopia (no blue)

#85938B
Tyrian Purple
29 / 31 Purples Dark Violet
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