#168CB5
Closest named color: Blue NCS (#118AB2). oklch(59.9% 0.113 228.6), rgb(22, 140, 181).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.45:1).
About this color
#168CB5 is a medium-dark, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 60%, its chroma 0.113 and its hue 229°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Blue NCS (#118AB2), ΔE 0.007 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.45:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-dark (60%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.113) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Blue NCS (#118AB2) |
| Black text | 5.45:1 |
| White text | 3.85:1 |
Values
| HEX | #168CB5 |
| RGB | rgb(22, 140, 181) |
| HSL | hsl(195, 78%, 40%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(59.9% 0.113 228.6) |
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 #168CB5 | 3.85:1 | AA large text | Lc -71.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #168CB5 | 5.45:1 | AA | Lc 38.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #168CB5 text on white | 3.85:1 | AA large text | Lc 65.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #168CB5 text on black | 5.45:1 | AA | Lc -36.2 | 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
#F1F6F9
oklch(97% 0.007 233.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E0ECF2
oklch(93.6% 0.015 229)
-
Step 200
200
#C5DEE9
oklch(88.6% 0.031 226.1)
-
Step 300
300
#9CC8DD
oklch(80.8% 0.055 228.7)
-
Step 400
400
#61ABCC
oklch(70.6% 0.088 228.8)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#168CB5
oklch(59.9% 0.113 228.6)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA6
oklch(55.7% 0.109 228.5)
-
Step 700
700
#006A8C
oklch(49% 0.097 229.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005773
oklch(42.7% 0.084 228.5)
-
Step 900
900
#014860
oklch(37.6% 0.073 228.9)
-
Step 950
950
#072B38
oklch(27.1% 0.046 226.7)
#168CB5 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) | #768AB7 | 0.079 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #627CB4 | 0.067 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00979A | 0.061 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #828282 | 0.113 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #168CB5
#168CB5
oklch(59.9% 0.113 228.6)
- #B66A3F
#B66A3F
oklch(60.1% 0.113 48.9)
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 #168CB5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.007
- Teal Blue #01889F ΔE 0.035
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.036
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.036
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.042
- Off Blue #5684AE ΔE 0.044
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.046
- Nice Blue #107AB0 ΔE 0.053
Use #168CB5 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.