Showa era
Cameo Pink & Blue Violet
Plate 116 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Cameo Pink, Blue Violet.
#6450a1
blue · 5 palettes
Blue Violet
About Blue Violet
Blue Violet is a mid-tone, muted blue tone. Its hex value is #6450a1 — that is
RGB 100, 80, 161, or HSL 255°, 34%, 47%.
It holds 6.6:1 contrast against white, so Blue Violet works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 6.6:1; on black 3.2:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Blue Violet appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Cameo Pink, Pinkish Cinnamon and Olive Buff.
Colours that go with Blue Violet
From a standard colour wheel, Blue Violet anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#6450a1 #8DA150
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#6450a1 #5065A1 #8C50A1
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#6450a1 #A16450 #50A164
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#6450a1 #A18C50 #65A150
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Blue Violet
Blue Violet is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 255°, 34%, 47%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (6.6:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#8DA150) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#5065A1 and #8C50A1) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Blue Violet off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone GP6102B Color Bridge Guide Set Coated & Uncoated, Multi-Colour
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
ColorChecker Studio spectrophotometer
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Studio Spectrophotometer for Complete Color Management for Display, Projector, Printer and Scanner Profiling
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 36
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
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Palettes with Blue Violet
Blue Violet appears in 5 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Blue Violet
- What is the hex code for Blue Violet?
- Blue Violet is #6450a1. It appears in 5 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Blue Violet look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Blue Violet (#6450a1) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 6.55:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 3.20:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Blue Violet come from?
- Blue Violet is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued blue pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Blue Violet in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#6450a1) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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