#281E52 Color
#281E52 is rgb(40, 30, 82) in RGB, hsl(252, 46%, 22%) in HSL, and about cmyk(51%, 63%, 0%, 68%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Russian Violet (#32174D), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 6.6. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#281E52rgb(40, 30, 82)hsl(252, 46%, 22%)hsv(252, 63%, 32%)cmyk(51%, 63%, 0%, 68%)oklch(27.9% 0.091 287.9)lab(15.03% 16.80 -30.81)lch(15.03% 35.09 298.60)What #281E52 Is Called
Most hex codes have no name: there are 16.7 million of them and a few thousand registered names. These are the named colors nearest to #281E52, ordered by CIE76 distance in CIELAB. Anything under about ΔE 2 is a difference most people cannot see.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every blue in the library.
#281E52 Channel Values
How #281E52 breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.
| Model | Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | R 40 · G 30 · B 82 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 252° · S 46% · L 22% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 252° · S 63% · V 32% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 51% · M 63% · Y 0% · K 68% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 15.02:1 vs white · 1.4:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #281E52 background. AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Contrast is one check, not a full accessibility review.
Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #281E52 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #281E52
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #281E52; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.
Tints & Shades of #281E52
Lighter tints and darker shades built by moving the lightness channel while holding hue and saturation, which is what you want for hover states, backgrounds, and text variants.
Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #281E52.
How #281E52 Looks with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulated with the Viénot, Brettel & Mollon LMS projection model. Anomalous types are rendered as partial versions of the matching dichromacy, which is an approximation rather than a per-person clinical model.
#281E52#202052#231F52#222252#242052#1D2929#22253D#272727Using #281E52 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-281e52: #281E52;background-color: #281E52;colors: { 'color-281e52': '#281E52' }Color(red: 0.157, green: 0.118, blue: 0.322)<color name="color_281e52">#281E52</color>fill="#281E52"More Blue Colors
#281E52 sits in the blue family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#281E52 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #281E52?
#281E52 is a dark blue — rgb(40, 30, 82) in RGB and hsl(252, 46%, 22%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Russian Violet (#32174D), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 6.6.
What is the RGB value of #281E52?
#281E52 is rgb(40, 30, 82) — red 40, green 30, and blue 82 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #281E52?
#281E52 converts to approximately cmyk(51%, 63%, 0%, 68%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #281E52 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #281E52 scores 15.02:1 against white and 1.4:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #281E52 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #281E52 is not one of the CSS color keywords, so it has to be written as a hex, rgb() or hsl() value. The closest keyword is darkslateblue (#483D8B) at a CIE76 distance of 19.91, which is visibly different.
Open #281E52 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every blue in the color library, the guide to shades of blue, or the full color library.