#159CB9
Closest named color: Blue NCS (#118AB2). oklch(64.1% 0.111 217.9), rgb(21, 156, 185).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (6.48:1).
About this color
#159CB9 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 64%, its chroma 0.111 and its hue 218°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Blue NCS (#118AB2), ΔE 0.052 away. Black text reads best on it, at 6.48:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (64%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.111) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Blue NCS (#118AB2) |
| Black text | 6.48:1 |
| White text | 3.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #159CB9 |
| RGB | rgb(21, 156, 185) |
| HSL | hsl(191, 80%, 40%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(64.1% 0.111 217.9) |
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 #159CB9 | 3.23:1 | AA large text | Lc -64.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #159CB9 | 6.48:1 | AA | Lc 44.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #159CB9 text on white | 3.23:1 | AA large text | Lc 59.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #159CB9 text on black | 6.48:1 | AA | Lc -42.6 | 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
#F0F7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.008 216.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEDF1
oklch(93.7% 0.016 216.7)
-
Step 200
200
#C4DEE6
oklch(88.4% 0.03 218.2)
-
Step 300
300
#99CAD8
oklch(80.9% 0.055 217.2)
-
Step 400
400
#5BAEC5
oklch(70.7% 0.087 218.2)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#159CB9
oklch(64.1% 0.111 217.9)
-
Step 600
600
#00819A
oklch(55.7% 0.1 217.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006C82
oklch(49.1% 0.088 218.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00596B
oklch(42.8% 0.077 217.7)
-
Step 900
900
#004A59
oklch(37.7% 0.067 217.2)
-
Step 950
950
#032C35
oklch(27.1% 0.046 216.4)
#159CB9 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) | #8997BB | 0.095 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7589B9 | 0.084 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00A6A5 | 0.049 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #8F8F8F | 0.112 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #159CB9
#159CB9
oklch(64.1% 0.111 217.9)
- #C67359
#C67359
oklch(64.1% 0.112 38.2)
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 #159CB9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.052
- Teal Green #0A9396 ΔE 0.055
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.057
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.058
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.059
- Teal Blue #01889F ΔE 0.064
- Persian Green #2A9D8F ΔE 0.065
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.066
Use #159CB9 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.