Perkin Purple

A vintage dark purple named after William Perkin, the inventor of mauve

HEX#6B3B6E

RGBrgb(107, 59, 110)

HSLhsl(296, 30%, 33%)

HSVhsv(296, 46%, 43%)

CMYKcmyk(3%, 46%, 0%, 57%)

HEXA#6B3B6EFF

RGBArgba(107, 59, 110, 1)

HSLAhsla(296, 30%, 33%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(66.8%, 0.078, 325)

LCHlch(60.4%, 27.3, 310)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#F0E4F1Ratio 6.9:1AA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#D6B3C7Ratio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#C18B8FRatio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#817D46Ratio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

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Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, stepwise lightness adjustment ±30%

#201221

#2A172B

#4A294C

#6A3B6D

#8A4D8F

#A663AB

#B984BD

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, stepwise saturation adjustment ±30%

#5B4C5D

#634365

#6A3B6D

#713276

#792A7E

#802287

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#2B212C

#2E222F

#49304B

#653B68

#844389

#A549AB

#BC5BC2

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#5D3B6D

#623B6D

#663B6D

#6A3B6D

#6D3B6D

#6D3B68

#6D3B64

💡 Use Cases

🕯️

Candlelit Study

Velvet sofas and heavy curtains in a study, pick up a quill pen and travel back to the British Empire.

⚙️

Steampunk

Decor in sci-fi themed bars or cosplay props, perfectly merging gears and purple patina.

🎻

String Quartet Halls

Stage curtains for chamber music halls, creating a strong sense of ceremony and an intimate acoustic atmosphere.

🖋️

Limited Edition Pens

High-end resin pen bodies, using the dark purple to bring about a state of profound thought while writing.

📜 Origin & History

Perkin Purple is a tribute color to Sir William Henry Perkin, the father of synthetic dyes. Unlike the bright, cheerful Mauve, Perkin Purple refers to a deep, mature, dark purple that Perkin favored later in life, carrying more weight and gravitas.

During the aesthetic changes of the late Victorian era, Perkin Purple was heavily used in thick velvet curtains and smoking jackets. It represented not just the glory of scientific invention but also echoed the Aesthetic Movement's pursuit of handcrafted texture.

In the late 19th century, painters of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, like Rossetti, mixed Perkin Purple into copious mediums to depict medieval robes. Its mysterious, profound texture, as if absorbing light, created an atmosphere of mystery reminiscent of medieval legends.

In modern vintage trends, Perkin Purple is a top choice for the Industrial Revolution and steampunk aesthetic. More layered than pure black and easier to handle than bright purple, it is often used to express the rigor and madness of a Victorian scientist's laboratory.

🧠 Color Psychology

Learned WisdomThe color of a chemist's laboratory, endowing one with immense logical thinking ability and intelligence.

Inscrutable MysteryLight disappears into the dark purple, like unknown scientific puzzles that invite curious exploration.

Vintage ProfundityA worn texture etched into its DNA, like a yellowed yet still rigorous scientific tome.

Steadfast PersistenceThe color that Perkin persisted in researching until his death, embodying the perseverance to never give up throughout a lifetime.

Solitary IndependenceA deep tone that doesn't need to pander to others, finding immense joy in solitary quests.

Dark RomanceSomber yet tantalizing, carrying the twisted, Gothic literary sense of beauty and destruction coexisting.

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