#16BCEF
Closest named color: Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF). oklch(74.2% 0.14 226.7), rgb(22, 188, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.47:1).
About this color
#16BCEF is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.140 and its hue 227°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.47:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.140) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF) |
| Black text | 9.47:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16BCEF |
| RGB | rgb(22, 188, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(194, 87%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.14 226.7) |
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 #16BCEF | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -47.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #16BCEF | 9.47:1 | AAA | Lc 60.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #16BCEF text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #16BCEF text on black | 9.47:1 | AAA | Lc -59.1 | 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
#EEF7FC
oklch(97.1% 0.012 231.7)
-
Step 100
100
#D9EEF7
oklch(93.6% 0.025 225.3)
-
Step 200
200
#B8E0F2
oklch(88.4% 0.049 227)
-
Step 300
300
#81CDEC
oklch(81% 0.087 226)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#16BCEF
oklch(74.2% 0.14 226.7)
-
Step 500
500
#0097C2
oklch(63.1% 0.122 226.9)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA3
oklch(55.6% 0.107 226.4)
-
Step 700
700
#006B8A
oklch(49.2% 0.095 226.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005772
oklch(42.6% 0.083 227.6)
-
Step 900
900
#00495F
oklch(37.8% 0.072 226.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002B3A
oklch(27% 0.052 227.2)
#16BCEF 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) | #A0B8F2 | 0.102 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #86A6EE | 0.088 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00CBCD | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.140 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16BCEF
#16BCEF
oklch(74.2% 0.14 226.7)
- #F28D5A
#F28D5A
oklch(74.1% 0.14 46.6)
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 #16BCEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.023
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.044
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.045
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.065
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.073
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.077
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.082
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.082
Use #16BCEF 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.