#8A42AE Color
#8A42AE is rgb(138, 66, 174) in RGB, hsl(280, 45%, 47%) in HSL, and about cmyk(21%, 62%, 0%, 32%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Purple Plum (#9C51B6), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 7.37. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#8A42AErgb(138, 66, 174)hsl(280, 45%, 47%)hsv(280, 62%, 68%)cmyk(21%, 62%, 0%, 32%)oklch(51.9% 0.173 312.7)lab(41.42% 44.67 -45.49)lch(41.42% 63.76 314.48)What #8A42AE 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 #8A42AE, 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.
#8A42AE Channel Values
How #8A42AE 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 138 · G 66 · B 174 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 280° · S 45% · L 47% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 280° · S 62% · V 68% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 21% · M 62% · Y 0% · K 32% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 6.05:1 vs white · 3.47:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #8A42AE 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 #8A42AE in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #8A42AE
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #8A42AE; 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 #8A42AE
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 #8A42AE.
How #8A42AE 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.
#8A42AE#5454AE#6E4DAE#6161AD#7456AD#7E5959#835184#636363Using #8A42AE in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-8a42ae: #8A42AE;background-color: #8A42AE;colors: { 'color-8a42ae': '#8A42AE' }Color(red: 0.541, green: 0.259, blue: 0.682)<color name="color_8a42ae">#8A42AE</color>fill="#8A42AE"More Purple Colors
#8A42AE sits in the purple family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#8A42AE Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #8A42AE?
#8A42AE is a mid-tone purple — rgb(138, 66, 174) in RGB and hsl(280, 45%, 47%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Purple Plum (#9C51B6), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 7.37.
What is the RGB value of #8A42AE?
#8A42AE is rgb(138, 66, 174) — red 138, green 66, and blue 174 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #8A42AE?
#8A42AE converts to approximately cmyk(21%, 62%, 0%, 32%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #8A42AE be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #8A42AE scores 6.05:1 against white and 3.47:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #8A42AE as a CSS color keyword?
No. #8A42AE 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 11.19, which is visibly different.
Open #8A42AE in a Tool
Keep exploring: every purple in the color library, the guide to shades of purple, or the full color library.