#38A6A0
Closest named color: Light Sea Green (#20B2AA). oklch(66.2% 0.098 189.9), rgb(56, 166, 160).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.13:1).
About this color
#38A6A0 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 66%, its chroma 0.098 and its hue 190°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Sea Green (#20B2AA), ΔE 0.033 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.13:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (66%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.098) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Sea Green (#20B2AA) |
| Black text | 7.13:1 |
| White text | 2.94:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38A6A0 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 166, 160) |
| HSL | hsl(177, 50%, 44%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(66.2% 0.098 189.9) |
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 #38A6A0 | 2.94:1 | Fails | Lc -61.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #38A6A0 | 7.13:1 | AAA | Lc 48.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38A6A0 text on white | 2.94:1 | Fails | Lc 55.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38A6A0 text on black | 7.13:1 | AAA | Lc -46.2 | 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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F7F6
oklch(97.1% 0.006 185.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EDEC
oklch(93.6% 0.014 191.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DFDD
oklch(88.5% 0.027 190.8)
-
Step 300
300
#9ECBC7
oklch(80.9% 0.048 189.5)
-
Step 400
400
#64B0AB
oklch(70.7% 0.076 190.1)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#38A6A0
oklch(66.2% 0.098 189.9)
-
Step 600
600
#008580
oklch(55.7% 0.096 190.1)
-
Step 700
700
#00706B
oklch(49.2% 0.085 189.4)
-
Step 800
800
#005C58
oklch(42.8% 0.074 189.6)
-
Step 900
900
#034C49
oklch(37.6% 0.064 190.2)
-
Step 950
950
#082D2B
oklch(27.1% 0.041 189.8)
#38A6A0 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) | #9D9DA0 | 0.104 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8C91A1 | 0.098 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00AAA4 | 0.017 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #969696 | 0.099 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38A6A0
#38A6A0
oklch(66.2% 0.098 189.9)
- #C77985
#C77985
oklch(66.3% 0.098 10.1)
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 #38A6A0, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.033
- Persian Green #2A9D8F ΔE 0.034
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.035
- Dull Teal #5F9E8F ΔE 0.036
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.038
- Grey Teal #5E9B8A ΔE 0.042
- Blue Green #0F9B8E ΔE 0.044
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.047
Use #38A6A0 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.