#159CBE
Closest named color: Blue NCS (#118AB2). oklch(64.3% 0.114 221.3), rgb(21, 156, 190).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (6.53:1).
About this color
#159CBE is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 64%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 221°. 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 6.53:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (64%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Blue NCS (#118AB2) |
| Black text | 6.53:1 |
| White text | 3.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #159CBE |
| RGB | rgb(21, 156, 190) |
| HSL | hsl(192, 80%, 41%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(64.3% 0.114 221.3) |
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 #159CBE | 3.21:1 | AA large text | Lc -64.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #159CBE | 6.53:1 | AA | Lc 45.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #159CBE text on white | 3.21:1 | AA large text | Lc 58.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #159CBE text on black | 6.53:1 | AA | Lc -42.9 | 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
#DFEDF2
oklch(93.7% 0.016 221.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C4DEE8
oklch(88.5% 0.031 222.9)
-
Step 300
300
#99CADA
oklch(81% 0.056 219.9)
-
Step 400
400
#5AADC8
oklch(70.6% 0.09 221.6)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#159CBE
oklch(64.3% 0.114 221.3)
-
Step 600
600
#00809D
oklch(55.6% 0.102 221.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006C85
oklch(49.2% 0.09 221.2)
-
Step 800
800
#00586D
oklch(42.6% 0.078 221.3)
-
Step 900
900
#00495B
oklch(37.6% 0.069 221.4)
-
Step 950
950
#032B37
oklch(26.9% 0.048 223)
#159CBE 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) | #8898C0 | 0.093 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7389BE | 0.082 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00A7A7 | 0.055 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #8F8F8F | 0.115 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #159CBE
#159CBE
oklch(64.3% 0.114 221.3)
- #C77454
#C77454
oklch(64.3% 0.114 41.6)
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 #159CBE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.052
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.060
- Teal Green #0A9396 ΔE 0.062
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.062
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.064
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.065
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.068
- Teal Blue #01889F ΔE 0.068
Use #159CBE 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.