#16B9CD
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(72% 0.121 208.8), rgb(22, 185, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.85:1).
About this color
#16B9CD is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.121 and its hue 209°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.85:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.121) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 8.85:1 |
| White text | 2.37:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16B9CD |
| RGB | rgb(22, 185, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(187, 81%, 45%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72% 0.121 208.8) |
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 #16B9CD | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc -51.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #16B9CD | 8.85:1 | AAA | Lc 57.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #16B9CD text on white | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc 46.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #16B9CD text on black | 8.85:1 | AAA | Lc -55.9 | 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
#EEF7F9
oklch(97% 0.01 212.5)
-
Step 100
100
#DAEEF2
oklch(93.6% 0.022 211)
-
Step 200
200
#BAE1E8
oklch(88.4% 0.042 209.7)
-
Step 300
300
#84CFDB
oklch(81% 0.076 208.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#16B9CD
oklch(72% 0.121 208.8)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAC
oklch(63.1% 0.109 208.4)
-
Step 600
600
#008291
oklch(55.5% 0.096 208.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7A
oklch(49% 0.084 209.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005A64
oklch(42.8% 0.073 207.9)
-
Step 900
900
#004B54
oklch(37.8% 0.065 208.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C32
oklch(26.8% 0.046 208.8)
#16B9CD 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) | #A7B2CE | 0.115 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91A1CD | 0.106 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C2BF | 0.038 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.122 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16B9CD
#16B9CD
oklch(72% 0.121 208.8)
- #E78678
#E78678
oklch(72.1% 0.122 29.1)
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 #16B9CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.024
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.047
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.050
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.059
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.069
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.072
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.076
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.078
Use #16B9CD 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.