#038DBE
Closest named color: Blue NCS (#118AB2). oklch(60.5% 0.123 232.1), rgb(3, 141, 190).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.55:1).
About this color
#038DBE is a medium-dark, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 60%, its chroma 0.123 and its hue 232°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Blue NCS (#118AB2), ΔE 0.018 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (60%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.123) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Blue NCS (#118AB2) |
| Black text | 5.55:1 |
| White text | 3.77:1 |
Values
| HEX | #038DBE |
| RGB | rgb(3, 141, 190) |
| HSL | hsl(196, 97%, 38%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(60.5% 0.123 232.1) |
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 #038DBE | 3.77:1 | AA large text | Lc -70.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #038DBE | 5.55:1 | AA | Lc 39.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #038DBE text on white | 3.77:1 | AA large text | Lc 64.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #038DBE text on black | 5.55:1 | AA | Lc -37.0 | 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
#F0F6FA
oklch(97% 0.008 236.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DFECF4
oklch(93.6% 0.018 234.5)
-
Step 200
200
#C4DEEC
oklch(88.6% 0.034 231.2)
-
Step 300
300
#9AC8E1
oklch(80.9% 0.06 232.2)
-
Step 400
400
#5DABD2
oklch(70.7% 0.096 232.1)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#038DBE
oklch(60.5% 0.123 232.1)
-
Step 600
600
#007EAA
oklch(55.7% 0.113 231.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006A90
oklch(49.2% 0.1 232)
-
Step 800
800
#005676
oklch(42.6% 0.087 232.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004863
oklch(37.7% 0.077 231.8)
-
Step 950
950
#052A3B
oklch(26.9% 0.051 233.3)
#038DBE 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) | #748CC0 | 0.079 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #5E7DBD | 0.065 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #009A9E | 0.071 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #838383 | 0.123 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #038DBE
#038DBE
oklch(60.5% 0.123 232.1)
- #BA6A34
#BA6A34
oklch(60.5% 0.123 52.1)
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 #038DBE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.018
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.031
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.037
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.039
- Teal Blue #01889F ΔE 0.048
- Off Blue #5684AE ΔE 0.049
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.052
- Nice Blue #107AB0 ΔE 0.055
Use #038DBE 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.