Showa era
Blue & Lilac +1
Plate 143 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Blue, Lilac, Warm Gray.
#b984af
purple · 4 palettes
Lilac
About Lilac
Lilac is a mid-tone, muted purple tone. Its hex value is #b984af — that is
RGB 185, 132, 175, or HSL 311°, 27%, 62%.
It holds 7.0:1 contrast against dark, so Lilac works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 3.0:1; on black 7.0:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Lilac appears in 4 combinations — most often paired with Blue, Warm Gray and Old Rose.
Colours that go with Lilac
From a standard colour wheel, Lilac anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#b984af #84B98E
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#b984af #A884B9 #B98495
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#b984af #AFB984 #84AFB9
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#b984af #95B984 #84B9A9
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Lilac
Lilac is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 311°, 27%, 62%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (7.0:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#84B98E) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#A884B9 and #B98495) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Lilac 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 Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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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 Passport Photo 2
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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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.
Listed on Amazon as Strathmore 300 Series Tape Bound Watercolor Pad, 140 lb. Cold Press, 11 X 15 inches, White, 12 Sheets (360-111)
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Palettes with Lilac
Lilac appears in 4 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 Lilac
- What is the hex code for Lilac?
- Lilac is #b984af. It appears in 4 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Lilac look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Lilac (#b984af) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 3.01:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 6.98:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Lilac come from?
- Lilac is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued purple pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Lilac in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#b984af) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.
- All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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- Tailwind v4 + v3 configs — drop into any project
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- 378 SVG plates (348 Wada + 30 editorial) — print-ready at any size
- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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