#38B1CD
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(70.6% 0.111 216.8), rgb(56, 177, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.33:1).
About this color
#38B1CD is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 71%, its chroma 0.111 and its hue 217°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.33:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (71%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.111) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 8.33:1 |
| White text | 2.51:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38B1CD |
| RGB | rgb(56, 177, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(191, 60%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(70.6% 0.111 216.8) |
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 #38B1CD | 2.51:1 | Fails | Lc -54.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38B1CD | 8.33:1 | AAA | Lc 55.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B1CD text on white | 2.51:1 | Fails | Lc 49.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B1CD text on black | 8.33:1 | AAA | Lc -52.9 | 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
#EFF7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.009 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEEF3
oklch(93.7% 0.02 216.2)
-
Step 200
200
#BEE0EA
oklch(88.5% 0.038 217.4)
-
Step 300
300
#8CCCDE
oklch(80.8% 0.07 217.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38B1CD
oklch(70.6% 0.111 216.8)
-
Step 500
500
#0099B5
oklch(63% 0.112 216.9)
-
Step 600
600
#008199
oklch(55.6% 0.099 216.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006C81
oklch(49% 0.088 217.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00596A
oklch(42.8% 0.076 216.6)
-
Step 900
900
#004A59
oklch(37.7% 0.067 217.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002C36
oklch(27% 0.048 217.4)
#38B1CD 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) | #9EACCF | 0.096 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8A9DCD | 0.086 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00BBBA | 0.048 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A3A3A3 | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38B1CD
#38B1CD
oklch(70.6% 0.111 216.8)
- #DC876E
#DC876E
oklch(70.7% 0.111 37.2)
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 #38B1CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.021
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.056
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.062
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.062
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.072
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.073
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.073
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.078
Use #38B1CD 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.