Electric violet
A vivid screen colour matching the middle of the violet spectrum
Electric violet is a bright violet colour designed to match the middle of the visible violet spectrum, around 400 nanometres. It is the closest that a computer screen can show to pure spectral violet, given display limitations, and is also called middle violet or simply violet.
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- Electric violet matches the middle of the visible violet spectrum.
- Its hex code is #8F00FF.
- It is the closest screen approximation to spectral violet at about 400 nm.
- Also called middle violet or simply violet.
What colour is Electric violet?
Electric violet is a vivid, intense shade of violet that aims to represent the pure violet seen in the middle of the visible spectrum. On screens, it appears as a bright, saturated purple with a strong blue undertone. This colour stands out from other purples by closely matching the wavelength of about 400 nanometres, which is near the edge of what the human eye can perceive.
Where does Electric violet come from?
The name 'electric violet' comes from its use as a digital approximation of spectral violet. It is also called middle violet, as it sits in the centre of the violet range between 380 and 420 nanometres. The colour is defined for computer screens because true spectral violet cannot be displayed exactly with standard RGB technology.
How Electric violet is defined
Electric violet is not a pigment or dye, but a colour value created for digital displays. Its hex code is #8F00FF. It is chosen to be as close as possible to the middle of the violet range on the visible spectrum, within the limits of what screens can show.
Where Electric violet is used
This colour is mainly used in digital media, design, and graphics where a vivid violet is needed. Because it is defined by its appearance on screens, it does not have a traditional use in painting, textiles, or other physical media.
Purple around the world
What the purple and violet family means from country to country.
In Holy Week, members of religious brotherhoods walk in procession in robes and pointed hoods, many of them purple, the colour of penance. A purple band also marked the flag of the Second Republic.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestSource: Holy Week in SpainSuffragettes campaigning for women's votes wore purple, white and green: purple for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
Politics and protestCourageSource: SuffragetteA child born to a reigning Byzantine emperor was called porphyrogennetos, born in the purple. The birth took place in a palace room lined with purple stone.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Born in the purpleIn the elections of 2005, voters dipped a finger in purple ink to prevent double voting. The stained finger, held up for cameras, became a sign of the vote.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Election inkPurple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Twelve Level Cap and Rank SystemThe Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon made Tyrian purple from sea snails. The dye was so costly that it became the colour of kings and Roman emperors.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Tyrian purpleShades and relatives of Electric violet
Related shades include vivid violet, which is even closer to the extreme edge of human vision at about 380 nanometres and is sometimes called extreme violet. Electric violet may also be referred to simply as violet in digital contexts, though it is more specific in its spectral reference.
Colours that go with Electric violet
Harmonies are worked out from the value #8F00FF. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Electric violet
What colour is electric violet?
Electric violet is a vivid, bright purple shade that closely matches the middle of the visible violet spectrum, appearing as a strong blue-toned violet on screens.
Where does the name electric violet come from?
The name comes from its use as a digital approximation of pure spectral violet, aiming to represent the colour seen at about 400 nanometres in the visible spectrum.
Can electric violet be made as a pigment or dye?
No, electric violet is a colour value defined for digital screens and cannot be reproduced exactly with physical pigments or dyes.
What is the hex code for electric violet?
The hex code for electric violet is #8F00FF.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Shades of violet" (the section "Electric violet"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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