Color #3B04B4 Color / Colour Code #3B04B4
This page shows the hex color code for color #3b04b4 (#3B04B4). The colour is a purple tone with 96% saturation and 36% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #3B04B4 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#3B04B4 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 229, 259, and 289 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 259, 19, and 139 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #3B04B4
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 259 and saturation at 96%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 259 to 304 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 259 with its complement at 79 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 #3B04B4
Lightness variations at hue 259 and 96% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #3B04B4
Design Use Cases for #3B04B4
High-Impact Accent
With 96% saturation, #3B04B4 is highly vivid. Reserve this for elements that need maximum attention: primary action buttons, notification badges, error states, or promotional banners. Use sparingly alongside neutral tones to avoid visual fatigue.
Primary Interface Color
At 36% lightness, #3B04B4 is in the mid-range, making it ideal for interactive elements like buttons, links, and selected states. This lightness level ensures good contrast against both light and dark adjacent elements in most layouts.
Creativity & Premium Positioning
#3B04B4 falls in the purple spectrum (hue 259). 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 #3B04B4 (hue 259) to its complement at hue 79. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 289. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #3b04b4, #7cb404);
CSS Code for #3B04B4
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #3B04B4 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #3B04B4 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #3B04B4 (#3B04B4)
#3B04B4 is a purple color (colour) with RGB channel values of 59 red, 4 green, and 180 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 45.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 259 degrees with 96% saturation and 36% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #3B04B4 is 41/255 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 67% cyan, 98% magenta, 0% yellow, and 29% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #3B04B4 against white is 11.28:1 and against black is 1.86:1. 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 #7CB404 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #3B04B4. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #0424B4 and #9404B4, 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 #3B04B4
- 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 #3B04B4?
- #3B04B4 is Color #3B04B4, a purple color (colour) with RGB(59, 4, 180), HSL(259, 96%, 36%), and CMYK(67%, 98%, 0%, 29%). Its perceived brightness is 41/255.
- Is #3B04B4 accessible for text?
- Against white, #3B04B4 has a contrast ratio of 11.28:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.86:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #3B04B4?
- The complementary colour is #7CB404 (hue 79). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #0424B4 and #9404B4. The triadic palette adds #B43B04 and #04B43B for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #3B04B4 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #3b04b4; or rgb(59, 4, 180); or hsl(259, 96%, 36%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 259 96% 36%; 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.