#B3A9BC Color
#B3A9BC is rgb(179, 169, 188) in RGB, hsl(272, 12%, 70%) in HSL, and about cmyk(5%, 10%, 0%, 26%) 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 5.6. Black text is the more readable choice on this background.
#B3A9BCrgb(179, 169, 188)hsl(272, 12%, 70%)hsv(272, 10%, 74%)cmyk(5%, 10%, 0%, 26%)oklch(74.9% 0.029 309.1)lab(70.54% 6.40 -8.42)lch(70.54% 10.57 307.23)What #B3A9BC 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 #B3A9BC, 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.
#B3A9BC Channel Values
How #B3A9BC 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 179 · G 169 · B 188 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 272° · S 12% · L 70% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 272° · S 10% · V 74% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 5% · M 10% · Y 0% · K 26% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 2.25:1 vs white · 9.32:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #B3A9BC 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 #B3A9BC in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #B3A9BC
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #B3A9BC; 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 #B3A9BC
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 #B3A9BC.
How #B3A9BC 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.
#B3A9BC#ABABBC#AEAABC#ACACBC#AFABBC#B1ACAC#B2ABB2#ADADADUsing #B3A9BC in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-b3a9bc: #B3A9BC;background-color: #B3A9BC;colors: { 'color-b3a9bc': '#B3A9BC' }Color(red: 0.702, green: 0.663, blue: 0.737)<color name="color_b3a9bc">#B3A9BC</color>fill="#B3A9BC"More Purple Colors
#B3A9BC sits in the purple family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#B3A9BC Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #B3A9BC?
#B3A9BC is a light purple — rgb(179, 169, 188) in RGB and hsl(272, 12%, 70%) 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 5.6.
What is the RGB value of #B3A9BC?
#B3A9BC is rgb(179, 169, 188) — red 179, green 169, and blue 188 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #B3A9BC?
#B3A9BC converts to approximately cmyk(5%, 10%, 0%, 26%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #B3A9BC be black or white?
Black text is the more readable choice. #B3A9BC scores 2.25:1 against white and 9.32:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #B3A9BC as a CSS color keyword?
No. #B3A9BC 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 darkgray (#A9A9A9) at a CIE76 distance of 10.65, which is visibly different.
Open #B3A9BC in a Tool
Keep exploring: every purple in the color library, the guide to shades of purple, or the full color library.