#0000CD Deep Blue

Q: What color is #0000CD?

Deep Blue is #0000CD, or #0000CD in uppercase notation. In RGB it is rgb(0,0,205), in HSL about hsl(240 100% 40%), and in OKLCH oklch(0.383 0.266 264.1).

Q: What does Deep Blue symbolize?

It usually stands for energy, warmth and confidence, with a ceremonial edge. Local culture can shift that reading, so check the context.

Q: Where is Deep Blue used?

You will see it in Campaign landing pages, Editorial cover systems, Product packaging labels, Dashboard status accents, Retail wayfinding signs. It also appears across beauty, culture, technology, luxury goods.

Q: Which colors go well with Deep Blue?

Muted neutrals, deeper steps of the same hue and one metallic accent work well. editorial layouts that need one warm focal point; packaging that should feel appetizing without shouting; interfaces where an accent has to stay legible

Q: How does Deep Blue affect mood?

It raises perceived energy and draws the eye quickly. Large fields feel intense, so accent use is safer.

Q: Which industries use Deep Blue?

It is common in beauty, culture, technology, luxury goods, particularly where brands want to feel luxurious, creative, mysterious, spiritual, refined.

Q: What is the history of Deep Blue?

The pigment story is concrete: Purple has always required rare dye or careful mixing, and that expense still colors its reputation. It balances ceremony, imagination and a faint air of mystery.

Q: How should I use Deep Blue in design?

Give it one focal element, keep body copy neutral and confirm contrast at 11.16 against white and 1.69 against black.

Q: Is Deep Blue accessible?

Contrast is 11.16 against white (AAA) and 1.69 against black (FAIL). Use it for large text when the level reaches AA.

Color conversion

CMYK profile: Coated FOGRA39 · Formats follow CSS Color 4 naming and WCAG 2.2 contrast rules.

About this color

Deep BluePurpledigital color

Luxury with a secret

Deep Blue is #0000CD, a Purple tone with a clear cultural lineage. Read on its own it belongs to the Purple family; read through its digital color roots, it carries a second layer of meaning.

Design tip

Test Deep Blue (#0000CD) on a neutral surface first; a Purple accent then looks intentional rather than decorative.

Best use

Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.

luxuriouscreativemysteriousspiritualrefined

Psychology

How it is perceived

luxuriouscreativemysteriousspiritualrefined

Psychological effect

Deep Blue raises the perceived energy of a Purple composition and pulls the eye toward action.

Emotional impact

It feels immediate and warm, so it can lift a restrained layout without making it loud.

Symbolism

What it stands for

creativityprestige and imagination

Cultural significance

In digital color settings the shade carries local references, so verify its symbolism before a campaign.

Positive associations

Positive associations lean toward creativity, prestige and imagination, which is why it appears in invitations and seasonal work.

Use with care

Too much surface area can read as artificiality or elitism when overdone, so keep it to accents and small fields.

Where it appears

Common design applications

Campaign landing pages: Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.
Editorial cover systems: Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.
Product packaging labels: Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.
Dashboard status accents: Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.
Retail wayfinding signs: Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.

Design guidance

How to make it work

Keep saturated fills below about twenty percent of the layout.
Use it for the primary call to action and nothing else.
Check the pairing at small sizes on a neutral background.

Avoid

Do not place it beside clashing neon greens or electric blues.
Never use it for long body text on white.
Avoid gradients that shift its hue into another family.

Brand fit

beauty, culture, technology, luxury goods

Brands built on The Magician, The Creator use it to signal character before they say a word.

Trend signal

Luxury with a secret

Purple has always required rare dye or careful mixing, and that expense still colors its reputation. It balances ceremony, imagination and a faint air of mystery.

Pairing

Colors that complete it

#801700editorial layouts that need one warm focal point #1B008Einterfaces where an accent has to stay legible #A50000packaging that should feel appetizing without shouting

History

Pigments and provenance

Before synthetic dyes, Deep Blue was matched with mineral and plant pigments, and the Purple family depended on sources such as ochre, madder and indigo. Screens now reproduce it more consistently than any single pigment ever could.

Variations

Shades darken and tints lighten while the hue angle stays fixed.

Pro tip: Shades darken and tints lighten while the hue angle stays fixed.

Shades

Darker steps built from the same hue.

0% #0000CD 10% #0000B9 20% #0000A4 30% #000090 40% #00007B 50% #000067 60% #000052 70% #00003E 80% #000029 90% #000014 100% #000000

Tints

Lighter steps for surfaces and backgrounds.

0% #0000CD 10% #1A1AD2 20% #3333D7 30% #4D4DDC 40% #6666E1 50% #8080E6 60% #9999EB 70% #B3B3F0 80% #CCCCF5 90% #E6E6FA 100% #FFFFFF

Use cases

Shades → hover, shadows, depth
Tints → highlights, surfaces
Balance → consistent color systems

Design tip

Keep one dominant tone, one supporter and one accent.

Color combinations

Rotate the hue wheel while holding lightness steady.

How to use it

Three moves keep the color readable and deliberate.

Why it works

The perceptual reasoning behind the palette.

Complementary

Opposite the hue wheel; it sharpens the focal color by contrast.

#0000CD #801700

Best use: Calls to action and single-feature highlights

Split-complementary

Two neighbors of the opposite hue; softer than a direct complement.

#0000CD #9D0000 #494800

Best use: Balanced marketing layouts with two accents

Triadic

Three hues spaced evenly; lively but needs one dominant voice.

#0000CD #A50000 #005E00

Best use: Event identities and playful editorial spreads

Analogous

Neighbors on the wheel; quiet, cohesive and easy to scan.

#0041B7 #0000CD #5700BE

Best use: Backgrounds, charts and calm product pages

Monochromatic

One hue across lightness steps; disciplined and premium.

#000094 #0000CD #4747DB

Best use: Design systems, packaging and typographic hierarchy

Tetradic

Two complementary pairs; rich, but requires strict proportion.

#0000CD #7E008F #801700 #005E00

Best use: Complex dashboards and multi-service brands

Export palette

CSS

:root {
  --color-1: #00007B;
  --color-2: #0000A4;
  --color-3: #0000CD;
  --color-4: #3333D7;
  --color-5: #6666E1;
}

Tailwind

colors: {
  color1: '#00007B',
  color2: '#0000A4',
  color3: '#0000CD',
  color4: '#3333D7',
  color5: '#6666E1',
}

JSON

["#00007B","#0000A4","#0000CD","#3333D7","#6666E1"]

Principles

Balance

Keep one dominant tone, one supporter and one accent.

Contrast

Test body text against both white and black before shipping.

Harmony

Rotate the hue wheel while holding lightness steady.

Color contrast checker

Test body text against both white and black before shipping.

Text color

Background

11.16 :1

AAA

Quote

Give Deep Blue the single element that must be noticed first, and let the rest of the Purple palette support it.

WCAG contrast

Preview

Aa / Bb

#0000CD · Deep Blue

WCAG contrast standards

WCAG 2.2 sets minimum contrast for text and interface parts. #0000CD measures 11.16:1 against white (AAA) and 1.69:1 against black (FAIL). Use the table below to choose the right threshold for the text size.

Level	Normal text	Large text (18pt+ / 14pt bold)	Icons & UI parts
AAA	7 : 1	4.5 : 1	—
AA	4.5 : 1	3 : 1	3 : 1
Fails	< 4.5 : 1	< 3 : 1	< 3 : 1

Large text means 18pt regular or 14pt bold. UI parts need 3:1 against adjacent colors. AA is the common compliance baseline; AAA is enhanced.

Technical formats

Notation across color spaces

HEX

#0000CD

CSS Color 4

RGB

0,0,205

sRGB / D65

HSL

240,100,40

HSL

OKLCH

oklch(0.383 0.266 264.1)

perceptual

LAB

25,67,-92

CIE Lab

LCH

25,114,306

CIE LCH

XYZ

11,4,58

CIE XYZ

LUV

25,-7,-101

CIE LUV

HWB

240,0,20

CSS HWB

CMYK

100,100,0,20

Practical formats

Ready-to-use values

CSS

color: #0000CD;

custom properties

Tailwind

bg-[#0000CD] text-[#FFF]

arbitrary value

Android

#FF0000CD

ARGB

Flutter

Color(0xFF0000CD)

dart:ui

Photoshop

R 0 G 0 B 205 · C 100 M 100 Y 0 K 20

RGB / CMYK

CMYK 100,100,0,20

FOGRA39

Color analysis

Measured color properties

Lightness

0.044

relative luminance · cool

Contrast

11.16 : 1

vs white · AAA · cool

Contrast

1.69 : 1

vs black · FAIL · cool

Hue

240°

saturation 100% · cool

LCH

25,114,306

lightness 40% · cool

Delta E

102.2

黛蓝 #425066 · cool

Similar colors

Nearest colors from the full Irodori library, ranked by ΔE.

Vivid Blue #0000FFΔE 21.6 Vivid Indigo #8A2BE2ΔE 24.2 Vivid Violet #9400D3ΔE 27.3 Dark Blue #00008BΔE 30.1 Dark Blue #000080ΔE 35.3 Vivid Violet #9932CCΔE 36.5

Blindness simulator

How it reads with color vision deficiency

How it reads with color vision deficiency · ΔE 102.2