What color is #996CEE?

#996CEE is a light, vivid violet. In RGB it is rgb(153, 108, 238), and in HSL hsl(261, 79%, 68%).

Is #996CEE accessible as text?

On white, #996CEE has a contrast ratio of 3.66:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.73:1 (passes). For text placed on #996CEE, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #996CEE?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is violet-400 (#A684FF).

What colors go well with #996CEE?

#996CEE pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #C1EE6D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #996CEE below.

Is #996CEE good for buttons?

#996CEE works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #996CEE — white text only reaches 3.66:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #996CEE the same as CSS mediumpurple?

No — #996CEE is not the CSS named color mediumpurple, but mediumpurple (#9370DB) is the closest CSS named color.

#996CEE Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #996CEE

Not just a swatch — here's how #996CEE works with other colors. Named schemes with #996CEE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #996CEE Secondary #AFB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7F92A7 Anchor #2E3236

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

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #996CEE Surface #F5E5D7 Anchor #5C2140 Accent #E5C2C8 Secondary #332B2F

Medium Purple sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #996CEE Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5B6572 Accent #BC96FF

Medium Purple is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Medium Purple.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #996CEE Secondary #BAAEDC Support #9D9088 Ink #18140F

Medium Purple 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 Medium Purple carrying the quiet middle.

Sunset Warmth Glow · 5 colors

Glow #996CEE Secondary #E86B6C Accent #F49449 Anchor #583A56 Surface #F7E7D7

Medium Purple glows at the center of this sunset palette, joined by coral and gold, deepened by a plum anchor and cooled with cream.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #996CEE 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 30/100

Cool

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

Softness 41/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 39/100

Low

Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 29/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 40/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 73/100

High

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 75/100

High

Strong interactive accent — visible and can carry a legible label.

Surface fit 21/100

Low

Too saturated or mid-toned for big areas — keep it to accents.

Print safety 76/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #996CEE

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #996CEE with

Iceberg Heliotrope Pear Gainsboro Russian Violet

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

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

Background Pair with #141310 text at 5.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #ECE5F8 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C56DEE — 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 #996CEE 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: #996CEE;
  --color-base-rgb: 153 108 238;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(63.8% 0.189 296.7);
  --color-50: #F5F1FE;
  --color-100: #E5DAFC;
  --color-200: #CDB6F6;
  --color-300: #A885EB;
  --color-400: #8558DA;
  --color-500: #6635C0;
  --color-600: #523092;
  --color-700: #3E2867;
  --color-800: #2B1D43;
  --color-900: #1B1429;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  medium-purple: {
    50: '#F5F1FE',
    100: '#E5DAFC',
    200: '#CDB6F6',
    300: '#A885EB',
    400: '#8558DA',
    500: '#6635C0',
    600: '#523092',
    700: '#3E2867',
    800: '#2B1D43',
    900: '#1B1429',
  },
}

$base: #996CEE;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F1FE;
$base-100: #E5DAFC;
$base-200: #CDB6F6;
$base-300: #A885EB;
$base-400: #8558DA;
$base-500: #6635C0;
$base-600: #523092;
$base-700: #3E2867;
$base-800: #2B1D43;
$base-900: #1B1429;
$base-hover: #6F2FE7;
$base-subtle: #E2D8F5;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#996CEE",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F1FE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E5DAFC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CDB6F6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A885EB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#8558DA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#6635C0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#523092",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3E2867",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2B1D43",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1429",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #996CEE

Color Lab

Pairs with #996CEE

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export