#4E238B Color
#4E238B is rgb(78, 35, 139) in RGB, hsl(265, 60%, 34%) in HSL, and about cmyk(44%, 75%, 0%, 45%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is KSU Purple (#512888), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 4.6. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#4E238Brgb(78, 35, 139)hsl(265, 60%, 34%)hsv(265, 75%, 55%)cmyk(44%, 75%, 0%, 45%)oklch(38% 0.161 296.8)lab(25.15% 37.59 -51.00)lch(25.15% 63.35 306.39)What #4E238B 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 #4E238B, 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.
#4E238B Channel Values
How #4E238B 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 78 · G 35 · B 139 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 265° · S 60% · L 34% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 265° · S 75% · V 55% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 44% · M 75% · Y 0% · K 45% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 10.84:1 vs white · 1.94:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #4E238B 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 #4E238B in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #4E238B
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #4E238B; 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 #4E238B
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 #4E238B.
How #4E238B 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.
#4E238B#2E2E8B#3D2A8B#36368B#412F8B#3C3D3D#443566#3D3D3DUsing #4E238B in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-4e238b: #4E238B;background-color: #4E238B;colors: { 'color-4e238b': '#4E238B' }Color(red: 0.306, green: 0.137, blue: 0.545)<color name="color_4e238b">#4E238B</color>fill="#4E238B"More Purple Colors
#4E238B sits in the purple family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#4E238B Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #4E238B?
#4E238B is a dark purple — rgb(78, 35, 139) in RGB and hsl(265, 60%, 34%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is KSU Purple (#512888), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 4.6.
What is the RGB value of #4E238B?
#4E238B is rgb(78, 35, 139) — red 78, green 35, and blue 139 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #4E238B?
#4E238B converts to approximately cmyk(44%, 75%, 0%, 45%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #4E238B be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #4E238B scores 10.84:1 against white and 1.94:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #4E238B as a CSS color keyword?
No. #4E238B 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 rebeccapurple (#663399) at a CIE76 distance of 8, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
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Keep exploring: every purple in the color library, the guide to shades of purple, or the full color library.