#38A1ED
Closest named color: Chefchaouen Blue (#4895EF). oklch(68.4% 0.146 244.6), rgb(56, 161, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.48:1).
About this color
#38A1ED is a medium-light, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 68%, its chroma 0.146 and its hue 245°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Chefchaouen Blue (#4895EF), ΔE 0.033 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.48:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (68%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.146) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Chefchaouen Blue (#4895EF) |
| Black text | 7.48:1 |
| White text | 2.80:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38A1ED |
| RGB | rgb(56, 161, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(205, 83%, 57%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(68.4% 0.146 244.6) |
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 #38A1ED | 2.80:1 | Fails | Lc -58.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38A1ED | 7.48:1 | AAA | Lc 50.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38A1ED text on white | 2.80:1 | Fails | Lc 53.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38A1ED text on black | 7.48:1 | AAA | Lc -48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#EFF7FD
oklch(97.2% 0.012 239.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DCECFB
oklch(93.6% 0.027 246.3)
-
Step 200
200
#BEDEF9
oklch(88.6% 0.05 243.8)
-
Step 300
300
#8EC7F8
oklch(80.8% 0.091 245.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38A1ED
oklch(68.4% 0.146 244.6)
-
Step 500
500
#0090E1
oklch(63.1% 0.158 244.7)
-
Step 600
600
#0079BE
oklch(55.6% 0.139 244.6)
-
Step 700
700
#0066A1
oklch(49.2% 0.123 244.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005385
oklch(42.7% 0.107 244.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004570
oklch(37.7% 0.095 244.9)
-
Step 950
950
#002945
oklch(27.1% 0.068 244.5)
#38A1ED 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) | #7EA4F0 | 0.063 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #6493EC | 0.046 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00B4BC | 0.104 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #9A9A9A | 0.146 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38A1ED
#38A1ED
oklch(68.4% 0.146 244.6)
- #D6831B
#D6831B
oklch(68.3% 0.146 64.6)
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 #38A1ED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.033
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.043
- Dark Sky Blue #448EE4 ΔE 0.050
- Dodger Blue #1E90FF ΔE 0.060
- Soft Blue #6488EA ΔE 0.070
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.079
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.085
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.086
Use #38A1ED 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.