Lavender Color Palette
Lavender is hex #E6E6FA, rgb(230, 230, 250). Lavender is a very pale purple named after the flower. In CSS it is almost white, so in practice it works as a soft purple-tinted surface rather than an accent.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Lavender color codes
Reading the lavender color codes
The hex code #E6E6FA is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. E6 is 230, E6 is 230 and FA is 250, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(230, 230, 250) in CSS. The blue channel is the strongest here, which is what gives lavender its indigo character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 240 degrees places lavender in the indigo part of the color wheel. Saturation of 67% makes it vivid, and lightness of 94% makes it a very light color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 8% cyan, 8% magenta, 0% yellow and 2% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to lavender for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Lavender shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #E6E6FA, so you can use lavender for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"lavender": {
50: "#F2F2FC",
100: "#E6E6FA",
200: "#D1D1E5",
300: "#BDBDD1",
400: "#A8A8BC",
500: "#9393A7",
600: "#7F7F93",
700: "#6A6A7E",
800: "#555569",
900: "#404054",
950: "#2C2C40",
},
},
},
}:root {
--lavender-50: #F2F2FC;
--lavender-100: #E6E6FA;
--lavender-200: #D1D1E5;
--lavender-300: #BDBDD1;
--lavender-400: #A8A8BC;
--lavender-500: #9393A7;
--lavender-600: #7F7F93;
--lavender-700: #6A6A7E;
--lavender-800: #555569;
--lavender-900: #404054;
--lavender-950: #2C2C40;
}A shade-by-shade guide to lavender
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#F2F2FC) and 100 (#E6E6FA), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the lavender mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#D1D1E5) and 300 (#BDBDD1) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where lavender is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 700 upward, so use step 700 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 600.
The darkest steps, 800 (#555569) through 950 (#2C2C40), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to lavender. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with lavender
How the lavender color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from lavender is #FAFAE6, which sits closest to beige among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #E6F0FA and #F0E6FA sit 30 degrees either side of lavender. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#FAE6E6 and #E6FAE6) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to beige. The split complementary set (#FAF0E6 and #F0FAE6) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #DDDDF8 to #6F6FE2. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Lavender compared with similar colors
off white (#FAF9F6) is about as light and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward yellow-orange. Choose off white if you want a softer, airier version; choose lavender if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
beige (#F5F5DC) is about as light and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward yellow-orange. Choose beige if you need more weight and contrast; choose lavender if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
ivory (#FFFFF0) is about as light and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward yellow-orange. Choose ivory if you want a softer, airier version; choose lavender if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Lavender in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here lavender carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using lavender in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on lavender only reach 1.23:1, so use dark text (17.06:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid lavender for body text on white; use step 700 or darker for links and headings that need to read as lavender.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid very light color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with lavender. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Lavender scores 1.23:1 against white (Fail) and 17.06:1 against black (AAA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use lavender alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What lavender means
Purple carries creativity, imagination and a touch of luxury. Light purples feel soft and calming; deep purples feel rich and mysterious.
Lavender is named after the flowering herb, prized for its scent since Roman times. The CSS lavender value is extremely pale, closer to a purple-tinted white, which is how most digital products use it.
Purple is heavily used by AI and creative tools, so it can look generic. Desaturate it or pair it with warm neutrals to make it feel chosen rather than default.
Where lavender works best
- Sleep and wellness apps
- Beauty and fragrance
- Baby and nursery products
- Soft UI backgrounds
How to style lavender
Lavender pairs with deep purple, soft yellow, sage and grey. Use it as a background or surface tint and choose a much deeper purple for text and buttons. It is especially calming in sleep, wellness and beauty products.
Build a UI with lavender
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #E6E6FA as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Lavender · History and definition of lavender.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for lavender?
The hex code for lavender used on this page is #E6E6FA. In RGB that is rgb(230, 230, 250), and in HSL it is hsl(240, 67%, 94%).
What colors go well with lavender?
Lavender pairs well with #B9A9E6, #FFFFFF, #4B3F72 (the Dusk Field palette above). Its complementary color is #FAFAE6, and analogous colors are #E6F0FA and #F0E6FA.
Is lavender a warm or cool color?
Lavender is a neutral color. Its hue sits at 240 degrees on the color wheel with 67% saturation.
Can I use lavender for text?
Lavender has a contrast ratio of 1.23:1 against white and 17.06:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does lavender mean?
Purple carries creativity, imagination and a touch of luxury. Light purples feel soft and calming; deep purples feel rich and mysterious. Lavender in particular is used for sleep and wellness apps and beauty and fragrance.
How do I use lavender in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#E6E6FA] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-lavender-500 and text-lavender-900.
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