#2B81DB
Closest named color: Water Blue (#0E87CC). oklch(59.9% 0.159 253.1), rgb(43, 129, 219).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.26:1).
About this color
#2B81DB is a medium-dark, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 60%, its chroma 0.159 and its hue 253°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Water Blue (#0E87CC), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.26:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (60%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.159) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Water Blue (#0E87CC) |
| Black text | 5.26:1 |
| White text | 3.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #2B81DB |
| RGB | rgb(43, 129, 219) |
| HSL | hsl(211, 71%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(59.9% 0.159 253.1) |
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 #2B81DB | 3.98:1 | AA large text | Lc -72.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #2B81DB | 5.26:1 | AA | Lc 37.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #2B81DB text on white | 3.98:1 | AA large text | Lc 66.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #2B81DB text on black | 5.26:1 | AA | Lc -34.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F6FC
oklch(97.1% 0.01 252.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EBF9
oklch(93.6% 0.022 254.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DBF6
oklch(88.4% 0.044 254.8)
-
Step 300
300
#9DC4F2
oklch(80.8% 0.078 252.9)
-
Step 400
400
#66A4EC
oklch(70.7% 0.124 253.2)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#2B81DB
oklch(59.9% 0.159 253.1)
-
Step 600
600
#0073D4
oklch(55.6% 0.172 253.1)
-
Step 700
700
#0060B3
oklch(49% 0.152 253.2)
-
Step 800
800
#004F94
oklch(42.8% 0.131 252.8)
-
Step 900
900
#0F4276
oklch(37.7% 0.103 253)
-
Step 950
950
#0B2745
oklch(26.9% 0.065 252.8)
#2B81DB 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) | #5488DF | 0.041 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #3678D9 | 0.023 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #0096A3 | 0.118 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #7F7F7F | 0.159 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #2B81DB
#2B81DB
oklch(59.9% 0.159 253.1)
- #AD7200
#AD7200
oklch(59.9% 0.127 73.3)
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 #2B81DB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.032
- Dark Sky Blue #448EE4 ΔE 0.043
- Windows Blue #3778BF ΔE 0.045
- Clear Blue #247AFD ΔE 0.057
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.059
- Soft Blue #6488EA ΔE 0.061
- Dodger Blue #1E90FF ΔE 0.062
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.063
Use #2B81DB 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.