#16DAFF
Closest named color: Aqua Blue (#02D8E9). oklch(81.9% 0.143 216.2), rgb(22, 218, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.50:1).
About this color
#16DAFF is a light, vivid teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.143 and its hue 216°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Aqua Blue (#02D8E9), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.50:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.143) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Aqua Blue (#02D8E9) |
| Black text | 12.50:1 |
| White text | 1.67:1 |
Values
| HEX | #16DAFF |
| RGB | rgb(22, 218, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(190, 100%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.9% 0.143 216.2) |
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 #16DAFF | 1.67:1 | Fails | Lc -32.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #16DAFF | 12.50:1 | AAA | Lc 74.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #16DAFF text on white | 1.67:1 | Fails | Lc 29.1 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #16DAFF text on black | 12.50:1 | AAA | Lc -73.8 | 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
#E8F9FE
oklch(97.1% 0.019 217.2)
-
Step 100
100
#CCF1FC
oklch(93.5% 0.041 217.7)
-
Step 200
200
#9BE7FB
oklch(88.5% 0.08 216.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#16DAFF
oklch(81.9% 0.143 216.2)
-
Step 400
400
#00B3D2
oklch(70.6% 0.125 216)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB5
oklch(63.2% 0.112 216)
-
Step 600
600
#008198
oklch(55.6% 0.099 216.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006C80
oklch(49% 0.087 216.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00596A
oklch(42.8% 0.076 216.6)
-
Step 900
900
#004A58
oklch(37.7% 0.067 215.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002C35
oklch(27% 0.048 215.4)
#16DAFF 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) | #C1D3FF | 0.125 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A5BFFF | 0.112 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E7E6 | 0.058 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C8C8C8 | 0.144 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #16DAFF
#16DAFF
oklch(81.9% 0.143 216.2)
- #FFAC95
#FFAC95
oklch(81.9% 0.104 36.2)
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 #16DAFF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.032
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.039
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.045
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.063
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.064
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.064
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.066
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.068
Use #16DAFF 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.