#16B5FE
Closest named color: Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF). oklch(73.3% 0.157 237.1), rgb(22, 181, 254).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.07:1).
About this color
#16B5FE is a medium-light, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.157 and its hue 237°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.07:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.157) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF) |
| Black text | 9.07:1 |
| White text | 2.31:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16B5FE |
| RGB | rgb(22, 181, 254) |
| HSL | hsl(199, 99%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.3% 0.157 237.1) |
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 #16B5FE | 2.31:1 | Fails | Lc -49.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #16B5FE | 9.07:1 | AAA | Lc 59.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #16B5FE text on white | 2.31:1 | Fails | Lc 45.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #16B5FE text on black | 9.07:1 | AAA | Lc -57.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#EEF7FD
oklch(97.1% 0.013 236.6)
-
Step 100
100
#D9EDFB
oklch(93.6% 0.028 238.2)
-
Step 200
200
#B8DFF9
oklch(88.4% 0.054 237.4)
-
Step 300
300
#81CAF8
oklch(80.8% 0.098 237.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#16B5FE
oklch(73.3% 0.157 237.1)
-
Step 500
500
#0094D2
oklch(63.2% 0.138 237.1)
-
Step 600
600
#007CB1
oklch(55.6% 0.122 237.2)
-
Step 700
700
#006896
oklch(49.1% 0.108 237.6)
-
Step 800
800
#00557B
oklch(42.6% 0.093 237.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004768
oklch(37.7% 0.083 237.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002A3F
oklch(27% 0.059 236.5)
#16B5FE 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) | #91B5FF | 0.087 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #74A2FD | 0.070 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C8CF | 0.099 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.157 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16B5FE
#16B5FE
oklch(73.3% 0.157 237.1)
- #F18C33
#F18C33
oklch(73.4% 0.157 57.2)
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 #16B5FE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.027
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.064
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.070
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.080
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.083
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.086
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.087
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.087
Use #16B5FE 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.