What color is #997EA0?

#997EA0 is a medium, muted purple. In RGB it is rgb(153, 126, 160), and in HSL hsl(288, 15%, 56%).

Is #997EA0 accessible as text?

On white, #997EA0 has a contrast ratio of 3.59:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.85:1 (passes). For text placed on #997EA0, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #997EA0?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is mauve-400 (#A89EA9).

What colors go well with #997EA0?

#997EA0 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #85A07E. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #997EA0 below.

Is #997EA0 good for buttons?

#997EA0 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #997EA0 — white text only reaches 3.59:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #997EA0 the same as CSS lightslategray?

No — #997EA0 is not the CSS named color lightslategray, but lightslategray (#778899) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#997EA0 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #997EA0

Not just a swatch — here's how #997EA0 works with other colors. Named schemes with #997EA0 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #997EA0 Surface #F1E8DC Highlight #F7F0E7 Secondary #BDADA1 Ink #2C2723

Cool Gray sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #997EA0 Accent #A5C4C5 Surface #E8D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #24334B

Cool Gray 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 #997EA0 Secondary #AFB4B9 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #8091A8 Anchor #2F3236

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #997EA0 Secondary #BAB0BD Support #9C9087 Ink #18140F

Cool Gray 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 Cool Gray carrying the quiet middle.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #997EA0 Surface #F5E6D7 Anchor #5D203E Accent #E5C2C6 Secondary #332B2E

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

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #997EA0 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 50/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 58/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 36/100

Low

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

Naturalness 1/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 59/100

Moderate

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 42/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 23/100

Low

Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.

UI accent fit 64/100

High

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

Surface fit 47/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 93/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #997EA0

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #997EA0 with

Cool Gray Beaver Asparagus Gainsboro Charcoal

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 5.2:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EAE6EB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #A07E9B — 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 #997EA0 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: #997EA0;
  --color-base-rgb: 153 126 160;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(63.0% 0.059 319.2);
  --color-50: #F8F6F9;
  --color-100: #EDE7EE;
  --color-200: #DAD0DC;
  --color-300: #BDAEC1;
  --color-400: #A08DA5;
  --color-500: #826D88;
  --color-600: #67586A;
  --color-700: #4B414D;
  --color-800: #332D34;
  --color-900: #201D21;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  cool-gray: {
    50: '#F8F6F9',
    100: '#EDE7EE',
    200: '#DAD0DC',
    300: '#BDAEC1',
    400: '#A08DA5',
    500: '#826D88',
    600: '#67586A',
    700: '#4B414D',
    800: '#332D34',
    900: '#201D21',
  },
}

$base: #997EA0;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F8F6F9;
$base-100: #EDE7EE;
$base-200: #DAD0DC;
$base-300: #BDAEC1;
$base-400: #A08DA5;
$base-500: #826D88;
$base-600: #67586A;
$base-700: #4B414D;
$base-800: #332D34;
$base-900: #201D21;
$base-hover: #7D6183;
$base-subtle: #E0DAE1;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#997EA0",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F8F6F9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EDE7EE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#DAD0DC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#BDAEC1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#A08DA5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#826D88",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#67586A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#4B414D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#332D34",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#201D21",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #997EA0

Color Lab

Pairs with #997EA0

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export