Navy vs Indigo

Navy leans blue; Indigo leans purple. The measured difference between their classic values is ΔE 7.9, noticeably different side by side.

Navy

RGB: 0, 0, 128
HSL: 240, 100%, 25%
OKLCH: 27.1% 0.188 264.1

Temperature: cool

Closest encyclopedia entry: Deep Blue

Indigo

RGB: 75, 0, 130
HSL: 275, 100%, 25%
OKLCH: 33.9% 0.179 301.7

Temperature: cool

Closest encyclopedia entry: Indigo

Measured difference: ΔE 7.9 · noticeably different side by side. ΔE is a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart.

Guide

How to tell Navy and Indigo apart

1 Indigo is measurably lighter (7 points of OKLCH lightness). Squint: the one that survives is Navy.
2 Their hues sit 38 degrees apart on the wheel. Put them on white side by side and the hue gap is the first thing you see.
3 Check them against a true neutral gray: subtle undertones surface immediately next to something with no undertone at all.

Guide

When to use which

Navy passes AA for text on white (16.01:1), so it can work in type and trim, not just surfaces.

Indigo passes AA for text on white (12.95:1), so it can work in type and trim, not just surfaces.

Palettes

Their palettes, side by side

Navy complementary palette

Indigo complementary palette

Navy analogous palette

Indigo analogous palette

FAQ

FAQs

Are Navy and Indigo the same color?

No. Using their classic reference values, they differ by ΔE 7.9 (a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart). That makes them noticeably different side by side.

Which is darker, Navy or Indigo?

Navy is darker: 7 points lower in OKLCH lightness than Indigo.