Color #331A40 Color / Colour Code #331A40
This page shows the hex color code for color #331a40 (#331A40). The colour is a purple tone with 42% saturation and 18% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #331A40 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#331A40 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 249, 279, and 309 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 279, 39, and 159 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #331A40
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 279 and saturation at 42%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 279 to 324 degrees create a warm, unified palette. This analogous scheme works for marketing materials, seasonal campaigns, and any design that needs visual warmth without clashing colors.
Combines the base color at hue 279 with its complement at 99 and two adjacent cool tones. This split-complementary approach provides strong visual contrast while remaining more balanced than a pure complementary scheme.
Five evenly spaced hues at 40% saturation and 80% lightness. Pastels are gentle on the eyes and work well for dashboards, onboarding screens, category tags, and any interface where multiple distinct colors are needed without visual aggression.
Shades & Tints of #331A40
Lightness variations at hue 279 and 42% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #331A40
Design Use Cases for #331A40
Balanced UI Color
At 42% saturation, #331A40 strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#331A40 at 18% lightness is dark enough for readable body text on light backgrounds while retaining its purple character. Use for headings, emphasized text, or deep accent borders. It provides contrast without the harshness of pure black.
Creativity & Premium Positioning
#331A40 falls in the purple spectrum (hue 279). Purple communicates creativity, wisdom, and luxury. It is effective for premium product highlights, creative portfolio accents, meditation app interfaces, and rewards program branding. Purple occupies a unique space between the energy of red and the calm of blue.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #331A40 (hue 279) to its complement at hue 99. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 309. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #331a40, #28411b);
CSS Code for #331A40
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #331A40 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #331A40 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #331A40 (#331A40)
#331A40 is a purple color (colour) with RGB channel values of 51 red, 26 green, and 64 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 279 degrees with 42% saturation and 18% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #331A40 is 38/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This appears dark to the human eye, so pair it with light text for adequate readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 20% cyan, 59% magenta, 0% yellow, and 75% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #331A40 against white is 15.41:1 and against black is 1.36:1. This exceeds the AAA requirement (7:1) for normal text on white, making it excellent for body text and small UI labels on light backgrounds.
The complementary colour #28411B creates maximum visual tension when paired with #331A40. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #201B41 and #411B3B, which sit 30 degrees on either side of the hue wheel. To build a complete design system, start with the monochromatic scale above for consistent shade variations, then add one complementary or triadic accent for interactive elements.
How to Explore Color #331A40
- Enter your color value in HEX format.
- The tool converts it to RGB, HSL, CMYK format in real time.
- Copy the converted value to your clipboard.
What is HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK color conversion
Converting from HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK translates a color value between two different color models. Different color models are used in web design (HEX, RGB), print (CMYK), and color theory (HSL, HSV).
Related Tools & Colors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What color / colour is #331A40?
- #331A40 is Color #331A40, a purple color (colour) with RGB(51, 26, 64), HSL(279, 42%, 18%), and CMYK(20%, 59%, 0%, 75%). Its perceived brightness is 38/255.
- Is #331A40 accessible for text?
- Against white, #331A40 has a contrast ratio of 15.41:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.36:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #331A40?
- The complementary colour is #28411B (hue 99). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #201B41 and #411B3B. The triadic palette adds #41341B and #1B4134 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #331A40 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #331a40; or rgb(51, 26, 64); or hsl(279, 42%, 18%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 279 42% 18%; then use it as hsl(var(--color-primary)).
- Is this color / colour explorer free?
- Yes, completely free with no signup required. All colour calculations run in your browser. You can explore any valid hex color code, not just the pre-generated palette.