What color is #997EAF?

#997EAF is a medium, muted violet. In RGB it is rgb(153, 126, 175), and in HSL hsl(273, 23%, 59%).

Is #997EAF accessible as text?

On white, #997EAF has a contrast ratio of 3.52:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.96:1 (passes). For text placed on #997EAF, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #997EAF?

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

What colors go well with #997EAF?

#997EAF pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #94AE7E. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #997EAF below.

Is #997EAF good for buttons?

#997EAF works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #997EAF — white text only reaches 3.52:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #997EAF the same as CSS lightslategray?

No — #997EAF 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.

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

Palettes built on #997EAF

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #997EAF Surface #F1E8DC Highlight #F8F0E7 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 #997EAF Accent #A5C4C4 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #23334B

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 #997EAF Secondary #AFB4B9 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #8092A7 Anchor #2E3236

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 #997EAF Secondary #BBB2C4 Support #9C9088 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 #997EAF Surface #F5E6D7 Anchor #5C213F Accent #E5C2C7 Secondary #332B2F

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 #997EAF 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 46/100

Neutral

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

Softness 56/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 36/100

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 63/100

High

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

Luxury 43/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 30/100

Low

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 70/100

High

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

Surface fit 42/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 91/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #997EAF

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #997EAF with

Cool Gray Puce Sage Gainsboro Onyx

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 5.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EAE7EE for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #A97EAE — 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 #997EAF 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: #997EAF;
  --color-base-rgb: 153 126 175;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(63.6% 0.078 309.3);
  --color-50: #F8F5F9;
  --color-100: #EBE6F0;
  --color-200: #D7CDE0;
  --color-300: #B9A9C6;
  --color-400: #9B86AC;
  --color-500: #7C668F;
  --color-600: #62536F;
  --color-700: #483E51;
  --color-800: #312B36;
  --color-900: #1F1B22;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  cool-gray: {
    50: '#F8F5F9',
    100: '#EBE6F0',
    200: '#D7CDE0',
    300: '#B9A9C6',
    400: '#9B86AC',
    500: '#7C668F',
    600: '#62536F',
    700: '#483E51',
    800: '#312B36',
    900: '#1F1B22',
  },
}

$base: #997EAF;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F8F5F9;
$base-100: #EBE6F0;
$base-200: #D7CDE0;
$base-300: #B9A9C6;
$base-400: #9B86AC;
$base-500: #7C668F;
$base-600: #62536F;
$base-700: #483E51;
$base-800: #312B36;
$base-900: #1F1B22;
$base-hover: #7B5D94;
$base-subtle: #E0DAE5;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#997EAF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F8F5F9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EBE6F0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#D7CDE0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#B9A9C6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#9B86AC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#7C668F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#62536F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#483E51",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#312B36",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1F1B22",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #997EAF

Color Lab

Pairs with #997EAF

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export