Colors that go with royal blue
Royal blue (#4169E1) is a medium, vivid blue. Colors that go well with royal blue include Buried Gold (#E1B941), Jelly Slug (#E16941), Blue Martini (#41B9E1), Hokkaido Lavender (#6941E1), Paradise Pink (#E14169). For a safe, polished look, pair royal blue with a soft off-white like #F1F5FF and a deep neutral like #121A2D; for contrast, add a touch of its complement #E1B941.
Best colors to pair with royal blue
- ComplementaryBuried Gold #E1B941
Opposite royal blue on the color wheel, so it creates the strongest, most energetic contrast. Use it sparingly as an accent.
- Split complementaryJelly Slug #E16941
Sits next to royal blue's complement: lively contrast with less tension than the direct opposite.
- AnalogousBlue Martini #41B9E1
A neighbouring hue that blends naturally with royal blue for calm, cohesive designs.
- AnalogousHokkaido Lavender #6941E1
The neighbour on the other side of royal blue — pair both for a soft, harmonious scheme.
- TriadicParadise Pink #E14169
One third of the way around the wheel from royal blue: vibrant but balanced.
- Light neutralCotton Ball #F1F5FF
An off-white with a hint of royal blue — an easy background that never feels stark.
- Dark neutralDark Knight #121A2D
A deep, royal blue-tinted near-black for text and dark sections; softer than pure black.
- GrayMonument #84888F
A warm-or-cool gray matched to royal blue for borders, captions and secondary UI.
Royal blue color palettes
Each palette keeps #4169E1 in the middle; open one in the generator to tweak it.
- B9E5FF6898F14169E163318D00293AAnalogous Royal blue palette
- 281C0020478E4169E1AD9100D2E1FFComplementary Royal blue palette
- 6A8FFF363D004169E1BDD8FFAA5C00Split complementary Royal blue palette
- 42130BD6E3FF4169E1749FFE2D5F0DTriadic Royal blue palette
- CADAFF1018584169E1748DFF2F4EC3Monochromatic Royal blue palette
- FCE7A25A8CE54169E16F5600181B45Balanced Royal blue palette
From our palette library
Text and backgrounds with royal blue
Check any other pair with the contrast checker.
FAQ
What colors go with royal blue?
Buried Gold (#E1B941), Jelly Slug (#E16941), Blue Martini (#41B9E1), Hokkaido Lavender (#6941E1), Paradise Pink (#E14169) go well with royal blue. Neutrals such as #F1F5FF and #121A2D are the easiest companions, and #E1B941 adds bold contrast as its complementary color.
What is the complementary color of royal blue?
The complementary color of royal blue (#4169E1) is #E1B941 (Buried Gold), which sits opposite it on the color wheel.
What neutral colors go with royal blue?
Off-whites, creams and grays with a slight royal blue tint, such as #F1F5FF and #84888F, plus a deep near-black like #121A2D. Tinted neutrals look more cohesive than pure white, gray or black.
What text color should I use on royal blue?
White text on #4169E1 has a contrast ratio of 4.85:1 (good). For royal blue text, use a background like #FFFFFF (4.85:1, good).
Is royal blue a warm or cool color?
Royal blue is a cool color in the blue family.