Lilac color: code #C8A2C8

Lilac

#C8A2C8

Color codes

  • HEX#C8A2C8
  • RGBrgb(200, 162, 200)
  • HSLhsl(300, 26%, 71%)
  • HSVhsv(300, 19%, 78%)
  • CMYKcmyk(0%, 19%, 0%, 22%)
  • LABlab(71.1% 20.5 -14.1)
  • OKLCHoklch(75.9% 0.068 326.2)

About the color Lilac

Lilac has the HEX code #C8A2C8, which corresponds to rgb(200, 162, 200) in the RGB model. On the color wheel its hue sits at 300°, with 26% saturation and 71% lightness (hsl(300, 26%, 71%)).

Because of its hue it reads as a cool color: it tends to feel calm and distant, and it visually “recedes” in a composition.

As a background it calls for dark text: black reaches a 9.45:1 contrast ratio on it, versus 2.22:1 for white.

For print, the approximate conversion is cmyk(0%, 19%, 0%, 22%). Always confirm with your printer’s color profile, because the result depends on paper and ink.

Lighter tints

Darker shades

Color combinations with Lilac

Complementary

#C8A2C8 · #A2C8A2

Analogous

#B5A2C8 · #C8A2C8 · #C8A2B5

Triadic

#C8A2C8 · #C8C8A2 · #A2C8C8

Tetradic

#C8A2C8 · #C8B5A2 · #A2C8A2 · #A2B5C8

Split-complementary

#C8A2C8 · #B5C8A2 · #A2C8B5

Monochromatic

#945794 · #B582B5 · #C8A2C8 · #E5D2E5 · #FFFFFF

Lilac with white and black text

White text Aa Bb Cc 123
2.22:1 · fails WCAG
Black text Aa Bb Cc 123
9.45:1 · AAA

Test other pairs in the contrast checker

Lilac is not lavender

People use the two names interchangeably, but in color codes they point to quite different shades. The lilac on this page, #C8A2C8 (rgb(200, 162, 200)), is a light, grayish purple with red and blue in balance, which is why it looks slightly pinkish. CSS lavender, #E6E6FA, is nearly white and leans blue. If you want the lilac of a flower or a dress, #C8A2C8 is much closer than lavender. Note that CSS has no color called lilac; the nearest keywords are plum (#DDA0DD) and thistle (#D8BFD8).

Meaning and perception

The name comes from the lilac shrub, which blooms in spring in temperate climates, and many of its associations follow from that: delicacy, nostalgia, romance, springtime. As a softened purple, lilac carries some of the creative and spiritual aura of purple without the weight. In some countries, lilacs and purples are also tied to awareness campaigns. Associations like these vary by country and era, so check your audience’s context.

Where lilac works

In fashion, lilac is a frequent guest in spring and summer collections and looks especially good in flowing fabrics. In interiors it adds charm to bedrooms and bathrooms without darkening the room, particularly alongside light wood and white. In branding it is common for beauty, wellness, stationery and youth-oriented products. In interfaces it works well as a background for cards, tags and illustrations.

Suggested pairings:

Contrast for text

#C8A2C8 against white is only 2.2:1: white text on lilac isn’t readable. Use black or dark gray (black reaches 9.5:1). For a lilac that can carry white text, darken it to something like #8A5A8A, above 5:1. Test it in the contrast checker and explore variations in the color mixer.

How to use it in CSS

:root {
  --color-lilac: #C8A2C8;
  --color-lilac-rgb: 200, 162, 200;
}

.elemento {
  background-color: var(--color-lilac);
  color: #000000;
}

Similar colors

Use Lilac in our tools