Royal purple
Ceremony and depth, like a heavy robe.
About royal purple
Royal purple tends to suggest ceremony and depth, like a heavy robe. It feels rich and calm.
- What color is royal purple?
- Royal purple is a deep, slightly muted purple. Its hex code is #7851A9.
- Is royal purple warm or cool?
- Cool: it sits on the cool side of the color wheel, with the greens, blues and violets. It is a dark color, value 4 of 10, and its opposite is army green. More in warm and cool colors.
- Where the name comes from
- From old purple dyes made from sea snails, so costly that they were kept for rulers in Rome and Byzantium.
- Value and codes
- Value 4 of 10, in the violet family. RGB 120, 81, 169. OKLCH 51.8% 0.138 302.3.
Where to use royal purple
In a room
A velvet sofa, a study wall or curtains. It looks rich beside gold and dark wood.
In an outfit
Evening dresses, ties and scarves. Rich with gray or gold.
In art
A deep, even purple for cloth and shadows.
In design
Readable as text on white, with a contrast of 5.9 to 1, which passes the 4.5 to 1 guideline for small text.
What royal purple pairs with
- Gold
A warm yellow, the classic partner.
- Pewter
A soft gray that keeps it modern.
- Cream
A soft light beside it.
- Teal
A deep cool neighbor.
The opposite of royal purple: Army Green #635818
Opposite royal purple on the color wheel sits army green. Side by side, each makes the other look stronger; mixed, they turn each other gray.
Side by side
Royal purple around army green
Army Green around royal purple
Often confused with royal purple
How to mix royal purple in paint
- 3 parts
ultramarine blue - 2 parts
titanium white - 2 parts
dioxazine purple
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. This is a calculated mix and comes very close, so adjust by eye as you go. It uses a paint beyond the basics. Practice in our Paint Mixer game.
Royal purple tints, tones and shades
Tints
Tones
Shades
Tap a color to copy its code. A tint adds white, a tone adds gray of the same lightness, and a shade adds black. More in tints, tones and shades.
Colors similar to royal purple
Royal purple inspiration
Rooms
Outfits
Find your own colors
Add the pictures you love to Color Taste to see which colors they share, or make a palette from one photo in Image to Palette.