What color is #AB9BCD?

#AB9BCD is a light, muted indigo. In RGB it is rgb(171, 155, 205), and in HSL hsl(259, 33%, 71%).

Is #AB9BCD accessible as text?

On white, #AB9BCD has a contrast ratio of 2.53:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 8.30:1 (passes). For text placed on #AB9BCD, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #AB9BCD?

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

What colors go well with #AB9BCD?

#AB9BCD pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #BECD9D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #AB9BCD below.

Is #AB9BCD good for buttons?

#AB9BCD works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #AB9BCD — white text only reaches 2.53:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #AB9BCD the same as CSS darkgray?

No — #AB9BCD is not the CSS named color darkgray, but darkgray (#A9A9A9) 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.

#AB9BCD Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #AB9BCD

Not just a swatch — here's how #AB9BCD works with other colors. Named schemes with #AB9BCD in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #AB9BCD Secondary #AFB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7F92A7 Anchor #2E3236

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #AB9BCD Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BDADA1 Ink #2C2724

Lilac 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 #AB9BCD Accent #A5C4C4 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #23334B

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #AB9BCD Secondary #D3CEE0 Support #9C9088 Ink #18140F

Lilac 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 Lilac carrying the quiet middle.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #AB9BCD Surface #F5E6D7 Anchor #5C2140 Accent #E5C2C7 Secondary #332B2F

Lilac 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 #AB9BCD 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 42/100

Neutral

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

Softness 63/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 27/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 50/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 34/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 28/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 44/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 51/100

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 #AB9BCD

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #AB9BCD with

Light Steel Blue Lilac Soft Sage Gainsboro Russian Violet

UI roles & guardrails

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

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

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 7.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EFEDF4 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #BC9DCD — 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 #AB9BCD 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: #AB9BCD;
  --color-base-rgb: 171 155 205;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(72.1% 0.074 299.2);
  --color-50: #F6F5FA;
  --color-100: #E8E3F2;
  --color-200: #D1C9E4;
  --color-300: #B0A2CD;
  --color-400: #8F7EB4;
  --color-500: #705D97;
  --color-600: #594C75;
  --color-700: #433A55;
  --color-800: #2E2938;
  --color-900: #1D1A23;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  lilac: {
    50: '#F6F5FA',
    100: '#E8E3F2',
    200: '#D1C9E4',
    300: '#B0A2CD',
    400: '#8F7EB4',
    500: '#705D97',
    600: '#594C75',
    700: '#433A55',
    800: '#2E2938',
    900: '#1D1A23',
  },
}

$base: #AB9BCD;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F6F5FA;
$base-100: #E8E3F2;
$base-200: #D1C9E4;
$base-300: #B0A2CD;
$base-400: #8F7EB4;
$base-500: #705D97;
$base-600: #594C75;
$base-700: #433A55;
$base-800: #2E2938;
$base-900: #1D1A23;
$base-hover: #846CB5;
$base-subtle: #E7E3EE;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#AB9BCD",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F6F5FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E8E3F2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#D1C9E4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#B0A2CD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#8F7EB4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#705D97",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#594C75",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#433A55",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2E2938",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1D1A23",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #AB9BCD

Color Lab

Pairs with #AB9BCD

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export