#38178C Color
#38178C is rgb(56, 23, 140) in RGB, hsl(257, 72%, 32%) in HSL, and about cmyk(60%, 84%, 0%, 45%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Persian Indigo (#32127A), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 7.43. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#38178Crgb(56, 23, 140)hsl(257, 72%, 32%)hsv(257, 84%, 55%)cmyk(60%, 84%, 0%, 45%)oklch(34.3% 0.174 285.6)lab(20.38% 39.18 -59.58)lch(20.38% 71.31 303.33)What #38178C 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 #38178C, 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 purple in the library.
#38178C Channel Values
How #38178C 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 56 · G 23 · B 140 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 257° · S 72% · L 32% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 257° · S 84% · V 55% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 60% · M 84% · Y 0% · K 45% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 12.58:1 vs white · 1.67:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #38178C 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 #38178C in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #38178C
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #38178C; 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 #38178C
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 #38178C.
How #38178C 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.
#38178C#1F1F8C#2B1C8C#25258C#2E208C#143939#272E65#333333Using #38178C in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-38178c: #38178C;background-color: #38178C;colors: { 'color-38178c': '#38178C' }Color(red: 0.220, green: 0.090, blue: 0.549)<color name="color_38178c">#38178C</color>fill="#38178C"More Purple Colors
#38178C sits in the purple family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#38178C Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #38178C?
#38178C is a dark purple — rgb(56, 23, 140) in RGB and hsl(257, 72%, 32%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Persian Indigo (#32127A), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 7.43.
What is the RGB value of #38178C?
#38178C is rgb(56, 23, 140) — red 56, green 23, and blue 140 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #38178C?
#38178C converts to approximately cmyk(60%, 84%, 0%, 45%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #38178C be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #38178C scores 12.58:1 against white and 1.67:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #38178C as a CSS color keyword?
No. #38178C 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 indigo (#4B0082) at a CIE76 distance of 9.49, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #38178C in a Tool
Keep exploring: every purple in the color library, the guide to shades of purple, or the full color library.