Color #42003B Color / Colour Code #42003B
This page shows the hex color code for color #42003b (#42003B). The colour is a purple tone with 100% saturation and 13% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #42003B against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#42003B paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 276, 306, and 336 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 306, 66, and 186 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #42003B
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 306 and saturation at 100%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 306 to 351 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 306 with its complement at 126 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 #42003B
Lightness variations at hue 306 and 100% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #42003B
Design Use Cases for #42003B
High-Impact Accent
With 100% saturation, #42003B 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.
Dark Mode Background
At just 13% lightness, #42003B works as a dark mode background or overlay color. Dark backgrounds reduce eye strain in low-light environments and make bright accent colors pop. Pair with light text (minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio) for readability.
Creativity & Premium Positioning
#42003B falls in the purple spectrum (hue 306). 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 #42003B (hue 306) to its complement at hue 126. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 336. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #42003b, #004207);
CSS Code for #42003B
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #42003B based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #42003B across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #42003B (#42003B)
#42003B is a purple color (colour) with RGB channel values of 66 red, 0 green, and 59 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 66.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 306 degrees with 100% saturation and 13% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #42003B is 26/255 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 0% cyan, 100% magenta, 11% yellow, and 74% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #42003B against white is 16.22:1 and against black is 1.29:1. 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 #004207 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #42003B. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #280042 and #42001B, 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 #42003B
- 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 #42003B?
- #42003B is Color #42003B, a purple color (colour) with RGB(66, 0, 59), HSL(306, 100%, 13%), and CMYK(0%, 100%, 11%, 74%). Its perceived brightness is 26/255.
- Is #42003B accessible for text?
- Against white, #42003B has a contrast ratio of 16.22:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.29:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #42003B?
- The complementary colour is #004207 (hue 126). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #280042 and #42001B. The triadic palette adds #3C4200 and #003C42 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #42003B in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #42003b; or rgb(66, 0, 59); or hsl(306, 100%, 13%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 306 100% 13%; 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.