Indigo Color
Indigo is a purple color with hex code #4B0082. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with indigo, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Indigo Color Values
What Does Indigo Mean?
Indigo belongs to the purple family of colors. Purple dye once cost more than gold, and the royal association never really wore off. The family blends red's warmth with blue's calm, which is an odd, appealing combination. Brands pick purple partly because their competitors don't. Being on the dark side, Indigo adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Indigo is classified as a blue (nearest centroid: vivid purplish blue, #30267A).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Indigo
Indigo and #358000 are complements, parked opposite each other on the wheel. Together they hit maximum contrast, so a rough 70/30 split keeps the pairing from shouting.
Analogous neighbors — #0B0080 and #800075, which sit beside indigo on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair indigo with triadic partners #804A00 and #00804A. All three sit evenly spaced around the wheel, so the scheme stays lively without clashing.
Build and test these combinations in our Color Wheel Tool or check text readability with the Contrast Checker.
Tints and Shades
Tints (lighter)
Shades (darker)
Similar Colors
- Kingfisher Daisy —
#3E0480(Delta E 4) - Windsor —
#3C0878(Delta E 7) - Blue Diamond —
#380474(Delta E 8) - Daisy Bush —
#4F2398(Delta E 9) - Blue Gem —
#2C0E8C(Delta E 10)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #4B0082; }
.background { background-color: #4B0082; }
.border { border: 2px solid #4B0082; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #4B008240; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for indigo?
Indigo has the hex code #4B0082. In RGB notation it is rgb(75, 0, 130), in HSL it is hsl(275, 100%, 25%), and its OKLCH value is 0.339, 0.179, 301.7.
What does the color indigo mean?
Purple-family colors like indigo carry distinct psychological associations. Indigo belongs to the purple family of colors. Purple dye once cost more than gold, and the royal association never really wore off. The family blends red's warmth with blue's calm, which is an odd, appealing combination. Brands pick purple partly because their competitors don't. Being on the dark side, Indigo adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
What colors go with indigo?
Indigo has three easy routes: its complement #358000 for punch, its neighbors #0B0080 and #800075 for something calmer, or triadic partners #804A00 and #00804A when you want energy.
Is indigo a standard web color?
Yes — Indigo is part of the CSS named colors specification, so you can use it directly in CSS as #4B0082 or with the keyword form where supported.
How do I make indigo lighter or darker?
To lighten indigo, add white to create tints; to darken it, add black to create shades. The tints and shades table above shows five computed steps of each, from #E5C2FF (lightest tint) to #0C0014 (darkest shade).
About Indigo
Indigo is classified as a Blue in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Purple hue family. It has The color is recognized by CSS3, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #4B0082 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.