What color is #281F4D?

#281F4D is a dark indigo. In RGB it is rgb(40, 31, 77), and in HSL hsl(252, 43%, 21%).

Is #281F4D accessible as text?

On white, #281F4D has a contrast ratio of 15.07:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 1.39:1 (fails). For text placed on #281F4D, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #281F4D?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is indigo-950 (#1E1A4D).

What colors go well with #281F4D?

#281F4D pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #434D1F. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #281F4D below.

Is #281F4D good for buttons?

#281F4D works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #281F4D — black text only reaches 1.39:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #281F4D the same as CSS midnightblue?

No — #281F4D is not the CSS named color midnightblue, but midnightblue (#191970) is the closest CSS named color.

#281F4D Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #281F4D

Not just a swatch — here's how #281F4D works with other colors. Named schemes with #281F4D in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #281F4D Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #22334A

Russian Violet opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #281F4D Secondary #AFB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7F92A7 Anchor #2E3236

Russian Violet keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #281F4D Secondary #7E4633 Surface #EDD8C2 Accent #355248 Anchor #582238

Russian Violet plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.

Luxury Packaging Feature · 5 colors

Feature #281F4D Anchor #141210 Accent #DB9757 Secondary #282732 Surface #F3ECE3

Russian Violet carries the depth in this luxury scheme, offset by a brass accent and near-black and held together by a deep neutral and an off-white surface.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #281F4D Secondary #4B4A5B Support #9D9088 Ink #18140F

Russian Violet is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Russian Violet carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #281F4D actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 37/100

Cool

Reads cool and recessive — calming, technical, good for trust-led UI.

Softness 26/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 71/100

High

Deep and grounding — anchors a layout, strong dark-mode base.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 40/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 74/100

High

Restrained and premium — deep, quiet, high-end packaging and fashion.

Brand distinctiveness 31/100

Low

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 29/100

Low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 42/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 89/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #281F4D

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #281F4D with

Classic Blue Russian Violet Army Green Gainsboro Prussian Blue

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with white label. AAA

Body text Passes on white at 16px and above. Pass

Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass

Background Pair with white text at 15.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #CFCAE3 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #371F4D — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #281F4D at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #281F4D;
  --color-base-rgb: 40 31 77;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(27.7% 0.082 289.0);
  --color-50: #F5F4FB;
  --color-100: #E5E1F4;
  --color-200: #CCC5E8;
  --color-300: #A79CD3;
  --color-400: #8475BD;
  --color-500: #6455A0;
  --color-600: #51467C;
  --color-700: #3D3659;
  --color-800: #2A263B;
  --color-900: #1B1924;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  russian-violet: {
    50: '#F5F4FB',
    100: '#E5E1F4',
    200: '#CCC5E8',
    300: '#A79CD3',
    400: '#8475BD',
    500: '#6455A0',
    600: '#51467C',
    700: '#3D3659',
    800: '#2A263B',
    900: '#1B1924',
  },
}

$base: #281F4D;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #F5F4FB;
$base-100: #E5E1F4;
$base-200: #CCC5E8;
$base-300: #A79CD3;
$base-400: #8475BD;
$base-500: #6455A0;
$base-600: #51467C;
$base-700: #3D3659;
$base-800: #2A263B;
$base-900: #1B1924;
$base-hover: #20183D;
$base-subtle: #B7AFD6;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#281F4D",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F4FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E5E1F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CCC5E8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A79CD3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#8475BD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#6455A0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#51467C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3D3659",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2A263B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1924",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}