#038AB6
Closest named color: Blue NCS (#118AB2). oklch(59.3% 0.117 229.8), rgb(3, 138, 182).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.31:1).
About this color
#038AB6 is a medium-dark, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 59%, its chroma 0.117 and its hue 230°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Blue NCS (#118AB2), ΔE 0.006 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.31:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-dark (59%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.117) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Blue NCS (#118AB2) |
| Black text | 5.31:1 |
| White text | 3.95:1 |
Values
| HEX | #038AB6 |
| RGB | rgb(3, 138, 182) |
| HSL | hsl(195, 97%, 36%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(59.3% 0.117 229.8) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #038AB6 | 3.95:1 | AA large text | Lc -71.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #038AB6 | 5.31:1 | AA | Lc 37.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #038AB6 text on white | 3.95:1 | AA large text | Lc 66.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #038AB6 text on black | 5.31:1 | AA | Lc -35.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 600.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F6F9
oklch(97% 0.007 233.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E0ECF2
oklch(93.6% 0.015 229)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DDE9
oklch(88.4% 0.03 230.3)
-
Step 300
300
#9EC8DC
oklch(80.9% 0.053 228.6)
-
Step 400
400
#66ABCB
oklch(70.8% 0.084 229.5)
-
Step 500
500
#3295BE
oklch(63.1% 0.108 229.9)
-
Step 600
600 (this color)
#038AB6
oklch(59.3% 0.117 229.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006A8D
oklch(49.1% 0.098 229.8)
-
Step 800
800
#005774
oklch(42.7% 0.085 229.4)
-
Step 900
900
#0A4860
oklch(37.7% 0.071 230.4)
-
Step 950
950
#0A2A38
oklch(26.9% 0.045 230.7)
#038AB6 with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #7388B8 | 0.080 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #5E7AB5 | 0.067 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #009699 | 0.066 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #808080 | 0.118 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #038AB6
#038AB6
oklch(59.3% 0.117 229.8)
- #B56738
#B56738
oklch(59.3% 0.118 49.9)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #038AB6, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.006
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.035
- Teal Blue #01889F ΔE 0.036
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.037
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.038
- Nice Blue #107AB0 ΔE 0.046
- Off Blue #5684AE ΔE 0.046
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.050
Use #038AB6 in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.