The meaning behind lilac
About the color
This color name speaks for itself — an incredibly fragrant flower, which blooms in the early spring, and represents nature’s awakening. Like most purple tints, lilac is a combination of red and blue. The hex code for lilac is #C8A2C8.
It is no wonder that lilac is frequently confused with the color lavender: both got their names from flowers, both are shades of purple. Though, there is one significant difference between them. Lilac is a warm and soothing color, as there are more red hues in a lilac color scheme. In contrast, lavender is a cool and bluish tint of purple. This is notable for creating balanced graphic designs.
Rule of thumb: use primarily warm or cool colors in your visuals, and add splashes of color in contrasting temperatures as accents — for harmonious visuals.
The color meaning behind lilac has changed throughout history. Up to the 19th century, the symbolism in reference to this color conveyed royalty and wealth. In Britain, it was considered a mourning color for a while. Also, lilac was and still is commonly perceived as a feminine color. But all these prejudices are a thing of the past.
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #c8a2c8 |
| RGB | 200, 162, 200 |
| CMYK | 0, 0.19, 0, 0.22 |
Application in design
In 2020, fashion runways boomed with millennial purple, which is quite similar to lilac. It gave the color a second life, making it perfect for creating trendy and catchy designs.
Use it as a background color with vivid orange, yellow, or blue supplements to make your brand bold and unconventional. Mix with white, pale grey, and various tints of purple to create a relaxing, empathic image. Combine with lilac’s complementary color — dusty green — to add a sense of creativity and experimentation.
Use a lilac color combination that best suits your brand to design all sorts of marketing materials: from social media content, like posts, Stories, and videos, to digital ads, logos, and printable materials.
