#53238B Color
#53238B is rgb(83, 35, 139) in RGB, hsl(268, 60%, 34%) in HSL, and about cmyk(40%, 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 4.43. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#53238Brgb(83, 35, 139)hsl(268, 60%, 34%)hsv(268, 75%, 55%)cmyk(40%, 75%, 0%, 45%)oklch(38.5% 0.161 299.8)lab(25.85% 38.72 -49.83)lch(25.85% 63.11 307.85)What #53238B 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 #53238B, 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.
#53238B Channel Values
How #53238B 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 83 · G 35 · B 139 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 268° · S 60% · L 34% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 268° · S 75% · V 55% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 40% · M 75% · Y 0% · K 45% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 10.6:1 vs white · 1.98:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #53238B 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 #53238B in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #53238B
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #53238B; 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 #53238B
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 #53238B.
How #53238B 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.
#53238B#2F2F8B#402B8B#38388B#44318B#433D3D#4A3566#3F3F3FUsing #53238B in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-53238b: #53238B;background-color: #53238B;colors: { 'color-53238b': '#53238B' }Color(red: 0.325, green: 0.137, blue: 0.545)<color name="color_53238b">#53238B</color>fill="#53238B"More Purple Colors
#53238B sits in the purple family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#53238B Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #53238B?
#53238B is a dark purple — rgb(83, 35, 139) in RGB and hsl(268, 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 4.43.
What is the RGB value of #53238B?
#53238B is rgb(83, 35, 139) — red 83, green 35, and blue 139 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #53238B?
#53238B converts to approximately cmyk(40%, 75%, 0%, 45%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #53238B be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #53238B scores 10.6:1 against white and 1.98:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #53238B as a CSS color keyword?
No. #53238B 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 6.89, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #53238B in a Tool
Keep exploring: every purple in the color library, the guide to shades of purple, or the full color library.