#038BDE
Closest named color: Water Blue (#0E87CC). oklch(61.8% 0.159 246.2), rgb(3, 139, 222).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.75:1).
About this color
#038BDE is a medium-dark, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 62%, its chroma 0.159 and its hue 246°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Water Blue (#0E87CC), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.75:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (62%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.159) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Water Blue (#0E87CC) |
| Black text | 5.75:1 |
| White text | 3.65:1 |
Values
| HEX | #038BDE |
| RGB | rgb(3, 139, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(203, 97%, 44%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(61.8% 0.159 246.2) |
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 #038BDE | 3.65:1 | AA large text | Lc -68.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #038BDE | 5.75:1 | AA | Lc 40.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #038BDE text on white | 3.65:1 | AA large text | Lc 63.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #038BDE text on black | 5.75:1 | AA | Lc -38.3 | 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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#F0F6FC
oklch(97% 0.01 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DEECF8
oklch(93.6% 0.022 243.8)
-
Step 200
200
#C3DDF5
oklch(88.6% 0.043 246.2)
-
Step 300
300
#97C6F0
oklch(80.8% 0.078 245.9)
-
Step 400
400
#59A7E9
oklch(70.6% 0.124 246.3)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#038BDE
oklch(61.8% 0.159 246.2)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C1
oklch(55.5% 0.143 246.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A3
oklch(49.1% 0.126 245.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005287
oklch(42.6% 0.111 246.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004572
oklch(37.9% 0.097 246)
-
Step 950
950
#032844
oklch(26.9% 0.066 246.5)
#038BDE 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) | #628FE1 | 0.060 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #437EDC | 0.040 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #009FAA | 0.110 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #868686 | 0.159 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #038BDE
#038BDE
oklch(61.8% 0.159 246.2)
- #BC7200
#BC7200
oklch(61.9% 0.137 66.3)
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 #038BDE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.028
- Dark Sky Blue #448EE4 ΔE 0.032
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.051
- Dodger Blue #1E90FF ΔE 0.051
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.062
- Windows Blue #3778BF ΔE 0.063
- Soft Blue #6488EA ΔE 0.063
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.066
Use #038BDE 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.