#16BDCA
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(72.9% 0.121 203.8), rgb(22, 189, 202).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.16:1).
About this color
#16BDCA is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.121 and its hue 204°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.034 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.16:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.121) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 9.16:1 |
| White text | 2.29:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16BDCA |
| RGB | rgb(22, 189, 202) |
| HSL | hsl(184, 80%, 44%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.9% 0.121 203.8) |
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 #16BDCA | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc -49.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #16BDCA | 9.16:1 | AAA | Lc 59.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #16BDCA text on white | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc 44.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #16BDCA text on black | 9.16:1 | AAA | Lc -57.5 | 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
#EEF8F8
oklch(97.2% 0.011 197)
-
Step 100
100
#DAEEF0
oklch(93.5% 0.021 204)
-
Step 200
200
#BAE2E6
oklch(88.6% 0.042 203.9)
-
Step 300
300
#83CFD7
oklch(80.8% 0.076 204.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#16BDCA
oklch(72.9% 0.121 203.8)
-
Step 500
500
#009CA7
oklch(63.1% 0.108 203.6)
-
Step 600
600
#00838D
oklch(55.6% 0.095 204.2)
-
Step 700
700
#006E76
oklch(49.1% 0.084 203.6)
-
Step 800
800
#005A61
oklch(42.6% 0.073 204)
-
Step 900
900
#004B51
oklch(37.6% 0.064 204)
-
Step 950
950
#002D31
oklch(27.1% 0.046 204.1)
#16BDCA 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) | #ADB5CB | 0.121 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96A4CB | 0.111 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5C1 | 0.030 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.122 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16BDCA
#16BDCA
oklch(72.9% 0.121 203.8)
- #EA8782
#EA8782
oklch(72.8% 0.122 23.6)
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 #16BDCA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.034
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.039
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.047
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.049
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.063
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.066
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.073
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.077
Use #16BDCA 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.