Showa era
Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet
Plate 9 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Violet Red, Dull Blue Violet.
#642d5e
purple · 1 palette
Violet Red
About Violet Red
Violet Red is a deep, muted purple tone. Its hex value is #642d5e — that is
RGB 100, 45, 94, or HSL 307°, 38%, 28%.
It holds 10.1:1 contrast against white, so Violet Red works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 10.1:1; on black 2.1:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Violet Red appears in 1 combination — most often paired with Dull Blue Violet.
Colours that go with Violet Red
From a standard colour wheel, Violet Red anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#642d5e #2D6433
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#642d5e #4E2D64 #642D43
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#642d5e #5E642D #2D5E64
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#642d5e #43642D #2D644E
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Violet Red
Violet Red is a deep, muted tone (HSL 307°, 38%, 28%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (10.1:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2D6433) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#4E2D64 and #642D43) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Violet Red
Violet Red appears in 1 combination from the archive.
From the archive
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