#21CDEF
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(78.3% 0.134 216.1), rgb(33, 205, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.04:1).
About this color
#21CDEF is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.134 and its hue 216°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.04:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.134) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 11.04:1 |
| White text | 1.90:1 |
Values
| HEX | #21CDEF |
| RGB | rgb(33, 205, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(190, 87%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.134 216.1) |
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 #21CDEF | 1.90:1 | Fails | Lc -39.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #21CDEF | 11.04:1 | AAA | Lc 68.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #21CDEF text on white | 1.90:1 | Fails | Lc 35.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #21CDEF text on black | 11.04:1 | AAA | Lc -66.9 | 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
#E9F9FD
oklch(97.1% 0.018 214.4)
-
Step 100
100
#CEF1FB
oklch(93.6% 0.039 216.9)
-
Step 200
200
#A0E6F9
oklch(88.5% 0.074 216.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#21CDEF
oklch(78.3% 0.134 216.1)
-
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
#005969
oklch(42.7% 0.076 215.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004A58
oklch(37.7% 0.067 215.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002C35
oklch(27% 0.048 215.4)
#21CDEF 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) | #B6C6F1 | 0.118 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9CB4EF | 0.105 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D9D8 | 0.055 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BCBCBC | 0.135 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #21CDEF
#21CDEF
oklch(78.3% 0.134 216.1)
- #FF997E
#FF997E
oklch(78.3% 0.129 35.7)
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 #21CDEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.019
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.023
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.034
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.046
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.055
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.056
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.064
Use #21CDEF 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.