Named shades of purple — from pale mauve and thistle through royal purple, byzantium, and dark near-black purple.
Medium Purple
#9370DB
rgb(147, 112, 219)
Balanced medium purple — familiar and versatile
Northwestern Purple
#4E2A84
rgb(78, 42, 132)
Deep strong purple — another iconic university color
KSU Purple
#512888
rgb(81, 40, 136)
Deep blue-purple — a classic university purple
Royal Purple
#7851A9
rgb(120, 81, 169)
Deep blue-purple — the contemporary royal shade
Rebecca Purple
#663399
rgb(102, 51, 153)
CSS named purple — with a touching personal origin story
Veronica Purple
#A02AF0
rgb(160, 42, 240)
Bright blue-purple — vivid and electric
Mauve
#E0B0FF
rgb(224, 176, 255)
Pale pinkish-purple — delicate and romantic
Eminence
#6C3082
rgb(108, 48, 130)
Dark rich purple — authoritative and distinguished
Heliotrope
#DF73FF
rgb(223, 115, 255)
Bright light purple-pink — vivid and floral
Purpureus
#9A4EAE
rgb(154, 78, 174)
Standard medium purple — named from the Latin for purple
Munsell Purple
#9F00C5
rgb(159, 0, 197)
Vivid deep purple — the Munsell color standard
Pomp and Power
#86608E
rgb(134, 96, 142)
Dark muted purple — regal and subdued
Dark Purple
#301934
rgb(48, 25, 52)
Near-black purple — the deepest of the family
Psychedelic Purple
#DF00FF
rgb(223, 0, 255)
Ultra-vivid magenta-purple — electric and extreme
Pale Purple
#FAE6FA
rgb(250, 230, 250)
Nearly-white pink-purple — very light and airy
Thistle
#D8BFD8
rgb(216, 191, 216)
Light gray-purple — soft like the thistle flower
Purple (Web)
#800080
rgb(128, 0, 128)
The CSS purple — exactly halfway between red and violet
Mardi Gras
#880085
rgb(136, 0, 133)
Deep reddish-purple — rich and festive
Orchid
#DA70D6
rgb(218, 112, 214)
Pink-purple — named for the tropical flower
Palatinate Purple
#72246C
rgb(114, 36, 108)
Dark cool purple — from the historical German palatinate
Byzantium
#702963
rgb(112, 41, 99)
Dark red-purple — the ancient Byzantine imperial color
Purple Pizzazz
#FE4EDA
rgb(254, 78, 218)
Bright pink-purple — neon and energetic
Pearly Purple
#B768A2
rgb(183, 104, 162)
Medium pink-purple — soft and iridescent
Red Violet
#C71585
rgb(199, 21, 133)
Vivid red-pink-purple — between red and magenta
Pansy Purple
#78184A
rgb(120, 24, 74)
Dark reddish-purple — the deep color of pansy petals
Mulberry
#CD4B8C
rgb(205, 75, 140)
Dark pink-red-purple — the color of mulberry stain
Liseran Purple
#DE6FA1
rgb(222, 111, 161)
Medium pink-purple — named for the liseran plant
About Shades of Purple
Purple's historical rarity made it the color of emperors and royalty for millennia — Tyrian purple from sea snails was so expensive that only the wealthiest could afford it. Today, purple's associations remain regal, spiritual, and creative. It sits on the edge between warm red and cool blue, and shades can tilt either direction dramatically.
At the pale end, lavender and mauve are gentle and romantic. Mid-range purples — orchid, medium purple, amethyst — are the design workhorses of the family. Deep purples like byzantium, dark purple, and eminence carry historical weight and visual authority. Purples that lean heavily toward blue become violet; those that lean toward red become magenta. This range makes purple one of the most versatile chromatic families for design when used thoughtfully.