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Periwinkle Color Code for Logo Design

The common periwinkle color code is #CCCCFF (RGB 204, 204, 255). Learn how to define it in vector logo files, where it falls short on contrast, and what to check before print.

Published

Contents
  1. The short answer: #CCCCFF
  2. #CCCCFF in other color models
  3. Defining periwinkle in a vector logo file
  4. Practical limits: contrast and legibility
  5. What this article could not confirm

The short answer: #CCCCFF

The value most widely cited as standard periwinkle is the hex code #CCCCFF. It is a pale, slightly lavender blue made from equal red and green with full blue. If you need one periwinkle code for a logo palette, this is the conventional starting point.

"Periwinkle" is a color name, not a single controlled standard. Crayon makers, paint brands and design tools each publish their own periwinkle, and these vary from a cool grayish blue to a stronger violet-blue. Treat #CCCCFF as the common reference, not the only correct answer. If a brand already has a defined periwinkle, its own guidelines take priority over any generic value.

#CCCCFF in other color models

The values below are direct mathematical conversions of #CCCCFF. They are useful for screen work and for entering the color consistently across tools.

Model | Value | Notes
Hex | #CCCCFF | Web, SVG and most design-tool color pickers
RGB | 204, 204, 255 | Screen-based artwork and digital exports
HSL | 240°, 100%, 90% | A very light tint of pure blue
HSB/HSV | 240°, 20%, 100% | How Illustrator and similar tools show HSB
CMYK (formula only) | 20, 20, 0, 0 | Naive conversion; not a press-ready value

The CMYK figure comes from a simple formula. It does not account for any printing profile, paper stock or ink set. Light, saturated blues like periwinkle often shift in print. For press work, convert through your printer's color profile or choose a spot color from a current physical guide. No verified Pantone equivalent was available for this article, so check any spot-color match against a printed swatch, not a screen.

Defining periwinkle in a vector logo file

In vector artwork, the color code belongs to the fills and strokes of the paths, not to the file as a whole. To make a palette dependable, define periwinkle once and reference it everywhere:

  • Create a named global swatch, for example "Periwinkle #CCCCFF", so that editing the swatch updates every object that uses it.
  • Keep separate swatches for the RGB/hex screen version and the print version (CMYK or spot). Don't rely on automatic mode conversion.
  • In SVG files, set the fill or stroke to the hex value, or use a shared class, so the color can be audited and changed in one place.
  • List the hex, RGB, CMYK and any spot reference on a short color sheet delivered with the logo files.
<!-- SVG: periwinkle applied as a fill on a vector path -->
<path d="M10 10 H90 V90 H10 Z" fill="#CCCCFF" />

/* CSS custom property for web use */
:root {
  --brand-periwinkle: #CCCCFF;
}

A changed swatch only recolors true vector objects. If a logo file contains an embedded raster image, such as a pasted bitmap or a traced photo that was never converted to paths, those pixels keep their original colors. A raster preview or thumbnail inside an EPS or PDF can also show a color that differs from the editable artwork. A file extension like .ai, .eps, .pdf or .svg doesn't guarantee editable paths, so open the file and inspect the objects before assuming the periwinkle can be adjusted.

Practical limits: contrast and legibility

Periwinkle is very light. Using the WCAG relative-luminance formula, #CCCCFF against pure white gives a contrast ratio of roughly 1.5:1. That is well below the 3:1 commonly recommended for meaningful graphics and far below what small text needs. Against black, the ratio is roughly 13.6:1. In practice:

  • Periwinkle works well as a background, a fill on a dark mark, or an accent next to a deep navy or charcoal.
  • A periwinkle-only mark on white is likely to look faint. Fine lines and small lettering will lose definition.
  • Plan a darker companion shade, or an outlined or one-color version of the logo, for light backgrounds.

Using a periwinkle palette doesn't give you any rights in another party's logo. Being able to download a logo file is separate from permission to recolor or modify its artwork, use its fonts, or use its trademarks. Those permissions depend on the owner's license or brand terms.

What this article could not confirm

No source evidence was supplied for specific brand periwinkles, an official Pantone match, or print results on particular papers. The codes above are the commonly cited web value and its mathematical conversions. Confirm print and spot-color choices with your printer and a physical color guide.