#16CBEF
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(77.7% 0.136 217), rgb(22, 203, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.82:1).
About this color
#16CBEF is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.136 and its hue 217°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.020 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.82:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.136) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 10.82:1 |
| White text | 1.94:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16CBEF |
| RGB | rgb(22, 203, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(190, 87%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.7% 0.136 217) |
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 #16CBEF | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc -40.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #16CBEF | 10.82:1 | AAA | Lc 67.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #16CBEF text on white | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc 36.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #16CBEF text on black | 10.82:1 | AAA | Lc -65.8 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#E9F9FE
oklch(97.2% 0.018 218.4)
-
Step 100
100
#CEF1FB
oklch(93.6% 0.039 216.9)
-
Step 200
200
#9FE6FA
oklch(88.5% 0.076 217.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#16CBEF
oklch(77.7% 0.136 217)
-
Step 400
400
#00B3D4
oklch(70.7% 0.127 217.3)
-
Step 500
500
#0099B6
oklch(63% 0.113 217.6)
-
Step 600
600
#008199
oklch(55.6% 0.099 216.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006C81
oklch(49% 0.088 217.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00596A
oklch(42.8% 0.076 216.6)
-
Step 900
900
#004A59
oklch(37.7% 0.067 217.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002C36
oklch(27% 0.048 217.4)
#16CBEF 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) | #B3C5F1 | 0.117 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #99B2EF | 0.105 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D7D6 | 0.057 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.137 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16CBEF
#16CBEF
oklch(77.7% 0.136 217)
- #FF9678
#FF9678
oklch(77.7% 0.134 36.8)
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 #16CBEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.020
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.021
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.040
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.046
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.048
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.057
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.060
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.067
Use #16CBEF 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.