Color #353238 Color / Colour Code #353238
This page shows the hex color code for color #353238 (#353238). The colour is a purple tone with 6% saturation and 21% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #353238 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#353238 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 240, 270, and 300 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 270, 30, and 150 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #353238
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 270 and saturation at 6%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 270 to 315 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 270 with its complement at 90 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 #353238
Lightness variations at hue 270 and 6% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #353238
Design Use Cases for #353238
Neutral Foundation Color
#353238 has almost no saturation (6%), making it an excellent neutral. Use it for page backgrounds, card surfaces, divider lines, and any element that should recede visually. Neutrals like this form the foundation of every professional design system.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#353238 at 21% 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
#353238 falls in the purple spectrum (hue 270). 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 #353238 (hue 270) to its complement at hue 90. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 300. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #353238, #363932);
CSS Code for #353238
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #353238 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #353238 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #353238 (#353238)
#353238 is a purple color (colour) with RGB channel values of 53 red, 50 green, and 56 blue. The blue channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 270 degrees with 6% saturation and 21% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #353238 is 52/255 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 5% cyan, 11% magenta, 0% yellow, and 78% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #353238 against white is 12.61:1 and against black is 1.66:1. 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 #363932 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #353238. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #323239 and #393239, 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 #353238
- 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 #353238?
- #353238 is Color #353238, a purple color (colour) with RGB(53, 50, 56), HSL(270, 6%, 21%), and CMYK(5%, 11%, 0%, 78%). Its perceived brightness is 52/255.
- Is #353238 accessible for text?
- Against white, #353238 has a contrast ratio of 12.61:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.66:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #353238?
- The complementary colour is #363932 (hue 90). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #323239 and #393239. The triadic palette adds #393632 and #323936 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #353238 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #353238; or rgb(53, 50, 56); or hsl(270, 6%, 21%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 270 6% 21%; 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.