Plum Color Palette
Plum is hex #8E4585, rgb(142, 69, 133). Plum is a deep reddish purple like the skin of the fruit. It is richer and warmer than eggplant, and it reads as sophisticated and a little sensual.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Plum color codes
Reading the plum color codes
The hex code #8E4585 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 8E is 142, 45 is 69 and 85 is 133, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(142, 69, 133) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives plum its magenta character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 307 degrees places plum in the magenta part of the color wheel. Saturation of 35% makes it moderately saturated, and lightness of 41% makes it a mid-tone 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 0% cyan, 51% magenta, 6% yellow and 44% 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 plum for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Plum shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #8E4585, so you can use plum for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"plum": {
50: "#EBDEE9",
100: "#DBC5D9",
200: "#CCABC8",
300: "#BC92B7",
400: "#AD78A6",
500: "#9D5F96",
600: "#8E4585",
700: "#783A70",
800: "#612F5B",
900: "#4B2446",
950: "#351A31",
},
},
},
}:root {
--plum-50: #EBDEE9;
--plum-100: #DBC5D9;
--plum-200: #CCABC8;
--plum-300: #BC92B7;
--plum-400: #AD78A6;
--plum-500: #9D5F96;
--plum-600: #8E4585;
--plum-700: #783A70;
--plum-800: #612F5B;
--plum-900: #4B2446;
--plum-950: #351A31;
}A shade-by-shade guide to plum
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 (#EBDEE9) and 100 (#DBC5D9), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the plum mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#CCABC8) and 300 (#BC92B7) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where plum 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 500 upward, so use step 500 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 400.
The darkest steps, 800 (#612F5B) through 950 (#351A31), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to plum. 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 plum
How the plum color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from plum is #458E4E, which sits closest to sea green 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. #73458E and #8E4560 sit 30 degrees either side of plum. 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 (#858E45 and #45858E) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to moss green. The split complementary set (#608E45 and #458E73) 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 #CF9DC9 to #2E162B. 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.
Plum compared with similar colors
rose gold (#B76E79) is lighter (57% vs 41% lightness) and similarly saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward red. Choose rose gold if you want a softer, airier version; choose plum if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
slate grey (#708090) is lighter (50% vs 41% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward blue. Choose slate grey if you want a softer, airier version; choose plum if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
eggplant (#614051) is darker (32% vs 41% lightness) and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward magenta. Choose eggplant if you need more weight and contrast; choose plum if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Plum in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here plum carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using plum in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. Plum carries white labels at 6.29:1, which passes AA for normal text.
- Text. Plum works as text on white backgrounds.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a moderately saturated mid-tone 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 plum. 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). Plum scores 6.29:1 against white (AA) and 3.34:1 against black (AA large). 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 plum alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What plum means
Purple carries creativity, imagination and a touch of luxury. Light purples feel soft and calming; deep purples feel rich and mysterious.
Plum is named after the deep purple skin of the fruit. It has a long association with luxury, wine and autumn fashion, sitting between purple and burgundy.
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 plum works best
- Wine and gourmet food
- Fashion and beauty
- Premium stationery
- Autumn campaigns
How to style plum
Plum pairs with gold, blush, cream, olive and grey. It supports white text, so it works for headers and buttons. Use lighter plum tints as surfaces in beauty and gourmet brands.
Build a UI with plum
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #8E4585 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Plum · History and definition of plum.
- 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 plum?
The hex code for plum used on this page is #8E4585. In RGB that is rgb(142, 69, 133), and in HSL it is hsl(307, 35%, 41%).
What colors go well with plum?
Plum pairs well with #5B2A55, #F6ECF3, #D9A05B (the Orchard palette above). Its complementary color is #458E4E, and analogous colors are #73458E and #8E4560.
Is plum a warm or cool color?
Plum is a cool color. Its hue sits at 307 degrees on the color wheel with 35% saturation.
Can I use plum for text?
Plum has a contrast ratio of 6.29:1 against white and 3.34:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as text on white backgrounds.
What does plum mean?
Purple carries creativity, imagination and a touch of luxury. Light purples feel soft and calming; deep purples feel rich and mysterious. Plum in particular is used for wine and gourmet food and fashion and beauty.
How do I use plum in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#8E4585] 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-plum-500 and text-plum-900.
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