Purple Color Meaning | Connotations, Palette & Hex

#800080

If you’re looking for a distinctive alternative to a blue or red, one that will help your business, brand, or design stand out from the crowd, then the right shade of purple could be the perfect solution.

This article explores purple color meaning, how you can use shades of purple to communicate brand identity or shape interior designs, and provides useful information that will help you to find the right purple and purple combinations for your project.

If you’ve found an inspiring purple color palette in an image, upload it to QuillBot’s free color palette generator to extract the hex codes of its main colors.

What does purple symbolize?

Shades of purple can convey indulgence and majesty, positivity and energy, and mystery and magic.

In branding design, you can use purple to:

  • Create a regal, luxurious, premium feel
  • Express creativity, imagination, and individuality
  • Add a sense of enchantment, spirituality, or fantasy

In interior design, you can use purple to:

  • Make a room feel rich, dramatic, and sophisticated
  • Introduce a calming, reflective atmosphere
  • Inject a creative, unexpected twist

Purple color meaning

Purple vs violet

In everyday English, purple describes a broad range of shades between red and blue, while violet describes bluer shades of purple. Some people call these blue-leaning shades “violet,” while others simply call them “purple.”

Purple vs violet

Color conversion

#800080
Format Value
HEX 800080
RGB 128, 0, 128
RGB Percent 50%, 0%, 50%
CMYK 0, 1, 0, 0.5
HSL 300°, 100%, 25%

Color variations

Tints

  • #9e009e • Click to copy
  • #bd00bd • Click to copy
  • #db00db • Click to copy
  • #fa00fa • Click to copy
  • #ff1aff • Click to copy
  • #ff38ff • Click to copy
  • #ff57ff • Click to copy
  • #ff75ff • Click to copy

Shades

  • #610061 • Click to copy
  • #420042 • Click to copy
  • #240024 • Click to copy
  • #140014 • Click to copy
  • #140014 • Click to copy
  • #140014 • Click to copy
  • #140014 • Click to copy
  • #140014 • Click to copy

Tones

  • #c200c2 • Click to copy
  • #c908c9 • Click to copy
  • #ce12ce • Click to copy
  • #d31dd3 • Click to copy
  • #d629d6 • Click to copy
  • #cf3fcf • Click to copy
  • #c954c9 • Click to copy
  • #c468c4 • Click to copy

Purple hex code

The purple hex code for the CSS color name “Purple” is #800080.

The following CSS color names also fall under the umbrella of “purple”:

  • Plum #DDA0DD
  • Violet #EE82EE
  • Orchid #DA70D6
  • MediumOrchid #BA55D3
  • MediumPurple #9370DB
  • RebeccaPurple #663399
  • BlueViolet #8A2BE2
  • DarkViolet #9400D3
  • DarkOrchid #9932CC
  • Indigo #4B0082
  • DarkMagenta #8B008B

Purple hex code

To adapt one of these purple colors for your project, enter its hex code into QuillBot’s free color wheel tool and adjust the setting.

Purple in QuillBot's free online color wheel tool

Shades of purple

These are some common names for shades of purple, along with representative hex codes:

  • Lilac #C8A2C8
  • Lavender #B57EDC
  • Orchid #DA70D6
  • Amethyst #9966CC
  • Plum #8E4585
  • Byzantine #BD33A4
  • Violet #8000FF
  • Electric purple #BF00FF

Shades of purple

Purple color palette

Here are some purple color palettes to give you ideas for purple color combinations to use in your project.

Royal purple, plum, antique gold, and ivory white for regal, luxurious, or premium

 

Purple color palette 1

If you want to view and refine these colors in QuillBot’s color wheel tool, enter #7851A9 for royal purple, #5D3A66 for plum, #C9A45C for antique gold, and #F5F1E8 for ivory.

Electric purple, orchid, turquoise, and soft peach for creative, original, or distinctive

 

Purple color palette 2

If you want to view and refine these colors in QuillBot’s color wheel tool, enter #BF00FF for electric purple, #DA70D6 for orchid, #40E0D0 for turquoise, and #FFD9C7 for soft peach.

Amethyst, violet, midnight blue, and moonstone for enchantment, spirituality, or fantasy

 

Purple color palette 3

If you want to view and refine these colors in QuillBot’s color wheel tool, enter #9966CC for amethyst, #8000FF for violet, #191970 for midnight blue, and #E6E6FA for moonstone.

#800080
  • Mono
  • Analogous
  • Complimentary

Frequently asked questions about the color purple

What is a purple complementary color?

Purple complementary colors include:

  • Golden yellows and off-whites for a luxury feel
  • Turquoise and peach for a bold, energetic palette
  • Midnight blue for mystery or fantasy

On a traditional color wheel, the complementary color of purple (i.e., its opposite) is yellow.

You can find purple on QuillBot’s free online color wheel tool by entering the hex code #800080.

What colors go well with purple?

Colors that go well with purple include:

  • Golden yellows and soft whites for sophistication and opulence
  • Turquoise and peach for a high-contrast energy
  • Dark blue for suspense and mystery

If you find purple color combinations you like in an image, upload it to QuillBot’s color palette generator—a free tool that will identify the color codes of the main colors in the image.

What are the purple RGB values?

The purple RGB values for the CSS color name Purple are:

  • 128, 0, 128

To view and adjust this color for your project, enter the corresponding hex code #800080 into QuillBot’s free online color wheel tool.

What is a light purple hex code?

Some light purple hex codes are:

  • #FAE6FA
  • #D8BFD8
  • #FFF0F5

Light purple hex code

To view and adjust these shades of purple for your project, enter their codes into QuillBot’s free online color wheel tool.

What is a midnight purple color?

A midnight purple color is a dark, blue-leaning shade of purple. It’s a popular color for happy Halloween images.

Enter the hex code #1B194F into QuillBot’s free online color wheel tool to find the perfect midnight purple for your project.

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