#16D4EB
Closest named color: Aqua Blue (#02D8E9). oklch(79.7% 0.135 208.8), rgb(22, 212, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.65:1).
About this color
#16D4EB is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 80%, its chroma 0.135 and its hue 209°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Aqua Blue (#02D8E9), ΔE 0.012 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.65:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (80%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.135) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Aqua Blue (#02D8E9) |
| Black text | 11.65:1 |
| White text | 1.80:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16D4EB |
| RGB | rgb(22, 212, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(186, 84%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.7% 0.135 208.8) |
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 #16D4EB | 1.80:1 | Fails | Lc -36.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #16D4EB | 11.65:1 | AAA | Lc 71.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #16D4EB text on white | 1.80:1 | Fails | Lc 32.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #16D4EB text on black | 11.65:1 | AAA | Lc -69.8 | 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
#E8F9FC
oklch(97% 0.018 209.4)
-
Step 100
100
#CDF2F8
oklch(93.7% 0.039 208.4)
-
Step 200
200
#9DE7F4
oklch(88.4% 0.075 209.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#16D4EB
oklch(79.7% 0.135 208.8)
-
Step 400
400
#00B5C9
oklch(70.8% 0.122 208.7)
-
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
#002C33
oklch(26.9% 0.047 211.1)
#16D4EB 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) | #BFCCEC | 0.127 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A6B9EB | 0.117 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00DFDB | 0.044 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C1C1C1 | 0.136 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16D4EB
#16D4EB
oklch(79.7% 0.135 208.8)
- #FF9F91
#FF9F91
oklch(79.6% 0.117 28.9)
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 #16D4EB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.012
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.036
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.038
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.040
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.043
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.060
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.064
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.065
Use #16D4EB 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.