#A59BB5 Color
#A59BB5 is rgb(165, 155, 181) in RGB, hsl(263, 15%, 66%) in HSL, and about cmyk(9%, 14%, 0%, 29%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Pastel Purple (#B39EB5), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 5.16. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#A59BB5rgb(165, 155, 181)hsl(263, 15%, 66%)hsv(263, 14%, 71%)cmyk(9%, 14%, 0%, 29%)oklch(70.7% 0.039 302.9)lab(65.49% 7.58 -12.17)lch(65.49% 14.34 301.91)What #A59BB5 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 #A59BB5, 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.
#A59BB5 Channel Values
How #A59BB5 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 165 · G 155 · B 181 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 263° · S 15% · L 66% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 263° · S 14% · V 71% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 9% · M 14% · Y 0% · K 29% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.64:1 vs white · 7.96:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #A59BB5 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 #A59BB5 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #A59BB5
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #A59BB5; 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 #A59BB5
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 #A59BB5.
How #A59BB5 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.
#A59BB5#9D9DB5#A09CB5#9E9EB5#A19DB5#A29F9F#A39DA8#9F9F9FUsing #A59BB5 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-a59bb5: #A59BB5;background-color: #A59BB5;colors: { 'color-a59bb5': '#A59BB5' }Color(red: 0.647, green: 0.608, blue: 0.710)<color name="color_a59bb5">#A59BB5</color>fill="#A59BB5"More Purple Colors
#A59BB5 sits in the purple family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#A59BB5 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #A59BB5?
#A59BB5 is a light purple — rgb(165, 155, 181) in RGB and hsl(263, 15%, 66%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Pastel Purple (#B39EB5), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 5.16.
What is the RGB value of #A59BB5?
#A59BB5 is rgb(165, 155, 181) — red 165, green 155, and blue 181 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #A59BB5?
#A59BB5 converts to approximately cmyk(9%, 14%, 0%, 29%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #A59BB5 be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #A59BB5 scores 2.64:1 against white and 7.96:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #A59BB5 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #A59BB5 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 lightslategray (#778899) at a CIE76 distance of 14.72, which is visibly different.
Open #A59BB5 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every purple in the color library, the guide to shades of purple, or the full color library.